


Lucky You

by cherry_shot



Category: Now You See Me (Movies)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Awkward Sexual Situations, Bar fights, Blackmail, Drug Use, Establish Daniel/ Dylan, F/M, Forced Prostitution, Gambling, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Prostitution, Self Esteem Issues, Semi-Canonical Character, Semi-Public Sex, mafia, mentions of gangs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-07-26 15:09:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7578895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherry_shot/pseuds/cherry_shot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Act 2 is done and finished, and Daniel had returned to New York with the intentions of creating small business for himself in the time before the Eye would return them all to the spotlight, a time he thought would be even longer than the 18 months they had waited after Act 1. But suddenly, after three months, Dylan is calling them all together and Daniel realizes very quickly that he might not be able to keep his personal life private much longer. </p><p>He’d never believed much in luck, raw talent had always served him far better than wishing on some burning cloud of space dust millions of miles away, but the moment the showman enters that casino he finds that opinion changing. Because in the mix of gambling drug lords and side street magical affairs, Danny’s gonna need all the luck he could get.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ill Fitting Job Description

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so I know everyone likes to jump on the stoic, sass master, and all but emotionless Daniel from the movies bandwagon but if I’ve learned one thing in my life it’s to question, question, question!! And also because I’m a firm believer that even the coldest rocks have some feelings hidden down deep within them, I wanted to write something detailing how I think Daniel deals with emotions. Let me know what you guys think :).

When Danny woke up, his bed was unusually cold. 

Now, two years ago this wouldn't have been anything too out of the ordinary. Because save for the scattered late night one stands with some pretty lithe body that cooed and made love to Daniel in all the ways he could never admit he wanted, his bed was usually empty. 

And cold. 

Daniel had long since given up on trying to produce any of his own body heat, he’d never understood exactly how those girls he’d bring home could burn in such steady roar throughout the whole night and into lazy early morning sex. But ever since Dylan had become a rather permanent guest in Danny’s home, the showman had gotten used to the feeling of waking up in a comfortable warmth, emitting either from the arms around him or the back he pressed up against. 

Sitting up, a quick glance around the room confirming Dylan’s absence, Danny yawned and stretched and he could feel the sunlight from the windows Dylan refused to cover ghosting over the smooth skin of his back and stomach revealed from where his shirt hitched up. Yanking the curtains closed, Danny pulled on the pair of sweatpants he had forgone the night before as he made his way into the living room. 

For a moment Danny’s mind rested on wondering where Dylan had gone, the former agent was usually the one to sleep in later than Daniel. ‘Insomnia doesn’t only keep people awake at night, Danny had told the other man when Dylan had scolded him for getting up at 5am when he hadn't even gotten to bed until two that same morning, “ also get’s you up early as hell.’

However his attention was ripped away from thoughts of Dylan as Danny’s gaze caught sight of the half finished stack of books he had ‘borrowed’ from the observatory’s library earlier that same year. It wasn’t as though he’d been practically barred from taking the novels full of ancient magic secrets and slightly more modern, to the point where they were almost unsatisfyingly dull, tricks of the trade. But he hadn’t exactly been encouraged. 

He settled into the corner of the couch, a few half filled glasses scattered across the table that Danny propped his feet on, and he felt time begin to pass by him as he began to read. 

By 1:30 that afternoon -after having finished a pot of poorly brewed tea and two more of the books- Daniel heard his phone buzz from the kitchen and he begrudgingly tossed the book onto the seat next to him. 

“What?” He snapped into the phone, his voice still scratchy and deep from sleep and lack of use, not even bothering with a hello when he saw Dylan’s name flash as the caller ID. 

“Ouch, I wake you up?” 

“Of course not,” Daniel responded, rolling his eyes but smiling nonetheless on hearing Dylan’s attempted humour. If he was joking then he wasn’t in trouble, wasn't dead, and even after all the times Dylan had proven himself as more than capable Daniel still found himself reliving the same wave of dread, that had washed over him as it did when he saw Dylan fall into that river, whenever the other man slipped off to god knows where. “Now do you need something or did you just decide to call and hear my voice?” 

“Yes because I am the one who so often calls to hear someone’s voice.” 

At Dylan’s words Danny felt himself go horribly red and he shot back, “That was one time and it’s not my fault you got me that drunk-” 

“Relax Danny, I’m just kidding,” Dylan eased, cutting the other man's rant off and Danny thought he could hear Dylan sign on the other end of the phone, “And of course I have a reason, you know I don’t call unless I do.” 

“Well let’s hear it.” Danny said, moving to pace, a smidge faster than what could be considered leisurely, around the kitchen as he kept the phone pressed up against his face. 

“Not over the phone,” Dylan responded, and Danny rolled his eyes at the faux vagueness and unnecessary mystic. The older man had said plenty of incriminating things over the phone, they’d made sure the lines weren’t tapped and no one help onto a cell for longer than a week anyways, Dylan just wanted to make Danny wait, “We’re meeting at Merritt’s place in a hour, you gonna be awake enough to get there on time?”

“We?” Danny asked, moving further back into the kitchen as the mid-afternoon light began to heat his skin to uncomfortable and burning grasp instead of the warming touch it had been moments before, and he ignored Dylan’s tease as he questioned, “Why Merritt’s place?” 

“He’s got the biggest, and cleanest, living room and the largest collection of scotch.” Dylan offered, and Danny let out a full bodied laugh at the explanation. 

Of course that was Dylan’s reasoning. 

“Well no better reason than that, considering the both of you practically fund the liquor markets yourselves,” Danny teased, ignoring Dylan’s half protest as he began walked back towards his room and through the illuminated living room, “I’ll see you there. This better not be some stupid get together Dylan.” 

“It won’t be, we got new instructions from the Eye and yours truly.” Dylan said, and the showman could hear white noise start to sound around the other man’s voice and he pictured Dylan walking out onto a main street from whatever street corner he’d ducked into before dialing Daniel’s number. “I’ll see you there, love you Daniel.” 

And with that the phone clicked off, and Daniel felt his breath catch as he paused right outside of his room. 

That fucker. 

It was nothing he hadn’t heard before, just something he’d never been able to say back. 

Danny rested back against the door frame and sighed, Dylan was just so much better at this… all of this than he was. Dylan knew which nights to open up all that dark wine Daniel kept hidden in the farthest part of his cupboards or which mights to simply get Daniel drunk on the taste of his mouth. He knew how to make love at night and cook eggs in the morning, a good morning passing between cups of lukewarm coffee and the still visible marks from the night before. 

As Daniel shed his clothes, his shirt sticking to his back with a thin sheen of sweat Daniel hadn’t noticed before, he clicked his tongue in annoyance at the phrase that plastered itself to the front wall of his mind. 

“Make love” he scoffed. 

J. Daniel Atlas didn’t make love, that implied commitment and patience which were two things Daniel had thrown away years ago. No. He’d fucked plenty of people, girls, guys, it didn’t matter, in the time before he meet Dylan’s angry brows and intoxicating taste. Sex had never meant anything more than a mutual interest in the desires of the flesh for Daniel, and whether he could blame that on a childhood spent ignoring fighting parents or his own inability to give a fuck about keeping up face for a relationship he didn’t know. 

But Dylan had forced him to be different. Dylan hadn’t allowed Daniel to be another one night stand, even though after the first time they fucked it was all Daniel wanted. To be able to slip off in the early morning back to his silent apartment and thoughts instead of an awkward conversation about relationships and ‘making it work’. 

Far too much effort. But when Dylan had woken up before him and forced Danny to sit down and talk with him over shitty coffee, the showman had found himself staying despite his clearly expressed desire not to. 

Sure Dylan wasn’t some romantic and love stuck sap, not like the petite russian girl Daniel had taken home after a successful show in Charleston who, after spending a glorious night pressed together in Daniel’s cramped apartment, had tried to invite him out for coffee the next day. Daniel had deleted her number from his phone and her face from his mind late at night, but Dylan wasn’t one to allow himself to take the easy way out and he seemed to extend this philosophy towards Daniel as well. 

Turning the shower water onto it’s coldest setting, hoping to freeze over his thoughts which seemed to be running rapid over his mind and out of Danny’s own control, Daniel stepped in and tried to let his worries of Dylan’s emotion invoking words and memories of the older man’s low voice wash away. It was to early to be fantasizing about Dylan’s capable hands and the taste of his skin, or how the idea of ‘dating’ made Daniel want to pack up and leave within the hour. 

Instead, as the water cooled his mind and desires, Daniel allowed his thoughts to instead drift towards wondering what exactly the Eye’s new plan for them was and how involved Dylan had been with it’s preparation. 

 

By the time Danny had showered and dressed, it was was quarter past two and the showman knew he was going to be late. But Daniel would have rathered been damned than show up in wrinkled, mismatched clothing. He still had some pride left. 

He arrived at Merritt’s place after jogging up the six flights of stairs to the older man’s apartment, leaving Daniel just slightly out of breath just enough to make his breathing audible to his own ears.  
The door slide open easily and Daniel took a moment to sigh in relief. Last time he had been forced over to Merritt’s place, the night after they had all returned from london in a post-adrenaline high, the mentalist had locked the door behind him and left Daniel outside for thirty minutes fumbling with the lock before Lula had pulled him inside. 

Walking inside, Daniel glanced around the apartment and rolled his eyes. Lula and Jack were lounging across the couch, the T.V. playing a rerun of some old nineties show, and Merritt was perched far back in the kitchen. 

“Well it seems I’m not the last one to arrive after all,” Daniel called out, watching as Lula’s face erupted into a grin when she turned around to greet him. 

“Danny!” She called out, abandoning Jack for moment as she turned around and up from the couch to pull Danny into a hug, “We were starting to get worried!” Shrugging his shoulders back and away from her uncomfortable hug, Danny found himself unable to answer when another voice spoke. 

“Oh yeah, of course, your absence was really pulling at me,” Merritt joked, and Danny rolled his eyes at the jest. 

“I’m sure it was. Looks like you guys have some real serious business going on here, glad I hauled ass in the middle of the afternoon just to get a glimpse of the action.” 

“You sure will be in a few minutes.” Not even bothering to turn around as Dylan spoke, Daniel walked over to the table Merritt had spread out. It was empty for a moment, but as soon as Dylan spread out the papers he had been holding Danny saw that the former agent had been right, he sure as hell was happy he had showed up. 

“A casino? Really?” Jack asked, furrowing his brows as he looked over the blueprints, “No offense Dylan, but it kinda seems like a bit of a step down. I mean, we’ve already broken into a bank how much harder is a casino?” 

“Easier in fact.” Dylan responded which had even Merritt sputtering before Dylan continued, his eyes narrowing as Jack tried to interrupt him which had the younger magician literally biting his lip while Dylan continued, “Or it would be, if we were just robbing a casino.”

“Jesus christ.” Danny muttered, rolling his eyes which Lula laughed next to him, “Be little less specific Dylan, I think you’re focusing too much on the details.” Dylan pinched Daniel’s side slightly under the table and Danny stamped his foot with equal force, both of their faces staying neutral throughout the second long exchange. 

“Now as I was saying,” The older man continued, and Danny felt himself keep focus on Dylan’s words with one ear while he gazed over the plans himself. Something about loans sharks running a fucked up drug circle in the casino, screwing over the little old ladies and newlyweds who came in to blow a little cash. Apparently the guy in charge of the whole organization, was also a loud mouth charity man who made news coverage as a lobbyist for the working class and his varying branches who collected money from the same supporters he was screwing over inside the casino. 

Danny could see why Dylan had picked it, the older man did have a rather severe case of ‘robin hood syndrome’. 

Someone nudged his side and Danny turned to see Merritt, eyebrows raised expectantly, “Hello earth to Atlas? Geez you’ve been standing there for almost five minutes.” 

“All because you’ve been speaking.” Daniel tossed back and he heard Dylan scoff behind him, “Are we done here?” 

“Better be.” Jack yawned, Lula’s head resting on his shoulder, “If you want us leaving tomorrow, and that early, Lu needs her beauty sleep.” 

“I think you mean you need your beauty sleep.” Lula shot back, slapping Jack lightly on the arm before pecking him on the cheek as she stood and and stretched. Danny found himself staring at them for a moment, admittedly jealous at the ease which Jack and Lula interacted with one another. Ever since London, when Jack had kissed her under all those blinding stage lights, the rest of the Horseman had taken the subtle hints -alongside the not so subtle- hints regarding the two youngest members relationship. 

It wasn’t that Daniel was necessarily embarrassed about being with Dylan, hell he’d come to terms with his own sexuality years before he had meet any of the Horseman. 

Even before Henley. 

It was just that Danny didn't want the excess pressure from the other Horseman to not fuck it up with Dylan. And of course, being the pessimist he was, Daniel couldn't help but think about what would inevitably happen if he and Dylan did grow away. He couldn’t stomach the disapproving looks that would be sent his way, the others cared too much for Dylan not to be at the least massively annoyed if Danny fucked it up. And even after everything they’d been through, after all of Macau and London, Danny still felt as though his relationship with the other Horseman teetered on eggshells. 

Daniel knew the others cared for both Dylan and himself, he just didn’t know (or at least didn’t want to know) who they cared for more. 

It was just easier to keep things between Dylan and himself, besides he really didn’t want Lula and Merritt asking about their sex life. And Lord knows they would.  
Hearing Lula and Jack begin to say their goodbyes, followed by Merritt’s sincere words clouded up in insincere jokes, Daniel turned to follow them out. 

“See you bright and early Buffy,” Merritt teased as Danny made his way towards the door, Dylan close behind him, and Danny rolled his eyes before stepping out of the apartment stopping as he heard Merritt’s winking words to Dylan, “You kids have fun now.” With that the door was shut behind both of them, and Danny could feel a flush painting itself across the back of his neck. 

They walked in silence until they were standing outside the apartment complex, the afternoon having faded to night as Daniel watched his breath escaping into the chilled evening light. 

“Daniel, look about what Merritt said I didn’t-” 

“How early are we leaving tomorrow? Because you may as well just come back to my place if we’re just going to have to be up in a few hours, it’s late enough.” Daniel asked, cutting off Dylan’s words. He wasn't in the mood to have this debate with Dylan, the showman already knew what Dylan was going to say and he wasn’t in the mood to hear what he already knew. About how the others already knew, or at least wouldn’t give two shits, about the two of them fucking. Daniel wasn’t an idiot, but he also wasn’t as at ease as Dylan was with allowing the other Horseman become privy to such an important part of his private life. 

“Around five am we’re leaving, even earlier if you plan on packing at all.” Dylan said, lighting a smoke as he started walking alongside Danny and back to the showman’s apartment, allowing this attempted earlier conversation to die down. 

“Please,” Danny responded, blaming the cold weather as he moved to stand just the slightest closer to Dylan’s warmth as they walked, “It takes me minutes to pack. You’re the one who spent ten minutes deciding on shoes last time we left New York.” 

“You know I like to look good when being chased by the FBI.” Dylan laughed, recalling the two weeks the horseman had spent hitching around Pennsylvania and Indiana when they had first returned from Act 2. By the time they had convinced the FBI they had in fact travelled back to Europe, and not simply back to New York, Daniel had realized just how much he hated cross state drives with people whose lives work was making everything you needed magically ‘disappear’. 

Scrunching his nose as Dylan blew some of the smoke to the side, Danny said, “If you think you’re bringing that thing into my apartment than you better start walking home.” 

“Relax, I think by now I know your rules Danny.” Dylan said, his free hand slipping into the front pocket of Daniel’s coat where the showman had stuffed his own freezing hands and Daniel could feel Dylan’s warmth seeping into him as the older man threaded their fingers together. 

While he usually despised any of Dylan’s attempts at PDA for once, as they walked through the darkened side streets which were filled with only a few scattered late night patrons, Danny allowed himself to relax next to Dylan as they walked back to what was quickly becoming their shared apartment rather than Daniel’s own private escape. And the showman couldn’t say he minded.


	2. Car Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aren't airports with your secret FBI agent boyfriend the worst?

“Turn that fucking light off.” Danny snapped as someone, most likely Dylan, flicked on the light yanking him out of the dim dream he had been having and into the illuminated bedroom. 

“Get up sleeping beauty.” Rolling onto his front and pushing himself into what could be vaguely described as a sitting position, Daniel glared over at Dylan and stuck up his middle finger towards the older man who only chuckled as he continued, “We’re leaving in five, you have a bag packed?” 

“‘Course I do.” Danny muttered, mostly to himself, as he moved to his wardrobe where, after pulling on a matching set of dark clothes, yanked out the suitcase he had learned to always keep packed after their impromptu trip around the states where Daniel hadn’t had more than a single set of spare clothing. It was an experience Danny would rather never again go through, even worse than being stuck up in the Tressler’s private jet and having to listen to Arthur’s shitty attempt at Bond villain style monologuing. 

As Danny began to make his way out of the door, he felt Dylan push something warm into his hands and Danny nodded in thanks as he took a deep breath and allowed the coffee to wash over his tongue. 

“I’ll never understand how you can drink your’s with all that shit in it.” Danny mentioned as they walked out of his apartment building and onto the street, the showman had always taken his joe completely black and never shied away from making his distaste with the flavoured creams and sugar that Dylan poured into his own liquid caffeine apparent. It was nearing four in the morning and, being this far out from Manhattan’s never ending roar, the streets were almost completely dead and as cold as they had been the previous night.

A short walk down to the subway station had the pair meeting up with Merritt, whose early morning glare was even stronger than Daniels. 

At the half hearted and all but morose “good morning” that Merritt offered, Dylan gave a nod of understanding and offered Merritt his cup. Glancing first towards the cup and then at Danny’s raised eyebrow, Merritt shook his head and scoffed, “I couldn’t thanks, it’s far too early to be drinking breakfast.” Dylan rolled his eyes and Daniel found he had forgotten to laugh as the train whizzed by, hitting him with a gust of stale underground air before stopping. Even this early, the train to the airport was filled with business workers and college kids striving to save money through taking the earliest flights, so much so that Danny could feel the wide expanse of Dylan's chest pressed against his back as they boarded. 

“Lula and Jack sleeping in?” The showman joked, right as the train took off into the underground tunnels. 

“They opted for a cab,” Merritt said, plucking Danny’s half filled cup away despite the glare the showman sent him, and tossed back the reminder. He sighed in relief, before tossing Danny a smirk and adding, “You know how much Lula hates the underground.” 

“Don’t know why I would.” Danny responded, crossing his arms and leaning subconsciously back towards Dylan as he glanced out into the darkness right outside of the large train windows. Jack and Merritt had grown unfathomably closer after Act 1, best friends right down to their mutual attempts at mentalism. At first Daniel had almost expected it to be Jack’s heart Merritt tricked away, especially after Henley had left them all behind, and so he was moderately surprised when Jack had flirted so openly with Lula throughout all of Macau. 

Turns out it had only been a friendship, and Daniel clicked his tongue in annoyance at himself for remembering yet another occasion when he’d read things wrong. 

The train stopped shortly afterwards, and Daniel found himself sighing out in aggravation at the sight and sound of the airport already bustling with early morning commuters and departing red eye flyers. 

Something flashing in the corner of Daniel’s sight and he turned to look fully, only to be caught by Lula’s early morning illumination which hit him full blast despite her being seated next to Jack at a coffee store a few meters away. 

“You’re far too awake.” Daniel commented into his phone that buzzed repeatedly when she caught his eye, before Lula could even speak yet she laughed regardless. 

“You know Daniel,” She said as jack and herself began to walk down towards the terminal paces behind Daniel, “I’m sure you wouldn;t be such a grump in the morning if you weren't addicted to caffeine.” 

“I’m hardly addicted.” Daniel muttered in response, although he hardly believed himself and Lula only rolled her eyes in response. Merritt had already separated himself, and was spitting out some fake trade oriented conversation into his own mobile. Careful to keep his face positioned away from the hundreds of cameras placed around the airport, Danny glanced to his side without turning in order to catch Dylan’s words that the older man was passing into his own device. 

“There’s a safe house address in your phone's, delete it once you get off the plane. We’ll meet there within a hour of landing.” Dylan said, holding his phone to his ear in attempt to disguise his speech as a call rather than instructions to the other horseman who kept their attentions fakely focused elsewhere, “And for the love of god, let’s have no-one get arrested when we land.” The others said nothing in response, the only yes Dylan needed, and the former agent grinned up at the airport worker when she asked for their passports. 

“Oh Vegas?” She said, glancing between Danny and Dylan with a sort of gleam in her heavily lined blue eyes, “I’ve heard it’s an absolutely lovely vacation spot this time of year.” Daniel stopped his eye roll at her lack of subtlety while Dylan only laughed along and nodded in agreement. 

“Yes, we sure hope it will be.” 

She bid them a good flight and smiled knowingly at Daniel as he walked through the gate and the showman allowed himself to mutter “dear god” once he was far enough away from her poised look. 

Once inside the plane, Danny found himself shifting uncomfortably when he found his seat was the window. He’d never liked confined spaces, and the lack of freedom planes involved in general and being stuck between a wall and Dylan for the next six hours was not his idea of fun (well at least not in this particular scenario). 

He’d seen Lula and Jack, seating in the same seat with Jack in the row directly behind Lula, and both had already conked out into a -supposedly- light sleep. And so, when Dylan and Danny took their own seats the latter assumed Merritt to be further back still, most likely chatting up whatever poor stranger had been stuck sitting next to him. 

The flight attendants stepped out shortly, and Danny felt himself blink slowly and doze off before opening his eyes to see that they had already taken flight. He could hear Dylan snoring lightly next to him, and Danny propped his chin in his hand as he gazed out of the window. It was a warm brown outside, should have been black but the light pollution from the city had turned the sky into the same shade as the leather bag he sometimes saw Dylan carrying around. 

However, that murky brown quickly faded away as the plane passed through a thick layer of smog and a much thinner layer of clouds, revealing an early morning sky whose sun was just beginning to peek through. 

Daniel squinted at the light and he could hear Dylan shift next to him, but he ignored the sound. Suddenly, Danny's mind was brought back to the train this morning when he had Dylan had arrived side by side without a single comment from Merritt. The mentalist rarely, if ever, skimped out on an opportunity to tease the self proclaimed control freak and so Danny couldn’t process it in his mind as to why Merritt would’ve passed up a chance to pry into Daniel’s so well kept social life. 

His mind, however, seemed to force a reason onto the showman and Daniel quickly found himself remembering a late evening conversation he had had with Dylan almost three weeks ago. 

“I’m sure they all already know, Danny.” Dylan had said, after he had again forced the unnecessary privacy of their relationship onto Daniel. At the pointed glare Danny sent Dylan from where he stood across the living room, the older man rolled his eyes and held up his hands in faux innocence before explaining, “I haven’t said anything of course.” 

“Than why would you assume anything?” Daniel asked, taking a seat a slight bit further from Dylan than he usually would. 

“Daniel honestly,” Dylan said, glancing towards Danny over the rim of his wine glass as he continued, “Everyone we spend time with on a daily basis is trained to read the room, you can’t blame them for noticing something more obvious than Lula’s enthusiasm for dogs.” 

“Oh we’re hardly that obvious-” Daniel had started, but cut himself off when Dylan raised his brows over his glass. As it had turned out, Danny had shut off the remainder of the conversation with the taste of his lips overpowering Dylan’s wine stained mouth but the former agent's own words reminded in Danny’s mind. 

“Fuck.” Danny muttered, resting his forehead against the cool wall of the aircraft as he ran Dylan’s past words through his mind. 

He’d never been privy to the deep hidden secrets of social engagements, save except of course for the shows where Danny had mapped out every charismatic phrase or arrogant smirk he needed to toss the audience in order to achieve his goal for the evening. Daniel was not always completely fluent in the less obvious social cues thrown his way, a fact once again proven by Dylan’s words and Merritt’s realization about Danny and Dylan showing up to the subway like a middle aged married couple. 

Christ, Danny and Dylan were the only ones even seated next to each other out of all of the Horseman. Daniel didn’t think even Lula and Jack had been this obvious before Jack had kissed her on the wing of the plane. 

“Fu-ck.” Daniel repeated to himself, and began to run every scenario where he had interacted with Dylan in front of the other horseman in order to examine every word, glance, and touch from every possible angle when a flight attendant's voice caught his attention. 

“Sir, excuse me sir?” She said, and gave Danny a manicured and plastic smile when he turned to meet her gaze, “I’m so sorry, but I have to ask you to close your window. The light is disturbing the other passengers.” 

“Sure thing.” Danny said, pulling down the shutter over the window mostly in order just to send the flight attendant and her fake grin back to the front of the plane. Leaning back into his seat, Daniel crossed his arms and stared up towards the ceiling of the dimly lit plane and sighed again. 

But before he could return to mulling the entirety of his and Dylan’s relationship the latter opened his eyes and, still half asleep, muttered, “You alright?” 

Glancing over to Dylan, who already seemed to be drifting back into sleep Danny responded, “Yeah. Perfect.” Dylan seemed content with the younger man’s answer and turned his head to the slide and Danny watched as his breathing evened out. For a moment Danny thought about returning to the thoughts sprinting across his mind, but instead he leaned back further into the seat and counted the breaths that escaped from Dylan until he, as well, was asleep. 

 

By the time the plane had landed, Daniel had already been awake for two hours. In the rush to get off the plane, out of the terminal and past the security guards that had pulled Dylan back twice through the line because of how horribly Dylan pronounced the fake last name he’d chosen for himself, Daniel felt his mind focusing away from his thoughts on the plane as he joked to the guards about how business always brought Dylan’s mind away. The guard had laughed and responded with a “Don’t I know it?” before sending them through the line and out of the terminal. 

“Amateur.” Daniel had whispered to Dylan as the other hailed a cab, earning himself a pinch in the side from Dylan’s whose brow was set in annoyance. 

“Not my fault pronunciation hasn’t been at the front of my mind.” Dylan responded as they slide into the cab, whose driver made no attempt at conversation save for his nod at the address Dylan gave him. “You a fan of Vegas?” Dylan asked as they drove, and Daniel glanced up from his mobile to squint out of the window and past the desert where the city stood off in the distance. 

“No.” Daniel said simply, turning back to his phone as he said, “And can’t say I’ve wanted to be.” 

“You have never been a fan of the heat.” Dylan mumbled, mostly to himself, nodding as he gazed out towards the desert. “Funny you haven't though, ironic.” 

“And why’s that?” Danny asked, not glancing up from his mobile as the blinding desert passed them quickly from the safety of their A/C cooled cab.  
“City of Sin? You certainly would seem to fit in well there.” Dylan joked, ignoring the glare Danny shot him as he continued while watching the continual view of white sand and grayed plants around them, “I would’ve assumed you’d grown up in Vegas, considering how sinful you are.” 

Danny turned towards Dylan and smirked, tossing his phone onto the seat and said, “Well thank god I didn’t, or I would have been a very different man.” 

“And we couldn’t have that.” Dylan laughed, before turning back towards the window where the city had quickly become a much larger part of the landscape as they’d gotten closer. Before returning to his phone, Danny glanced out of the window and towards the oasis of skyscrapers and corruption that stood seemingly alone in the rest of the desert and laughed quietly to himself. 

The City of Sin, he sure would fit in just well there. 

As they continued to drive, Daniel yet again realized that Dylan knew him a lot better than the showman gave him credit for. Dylan was so much better at all of this, reading one another and knowing the person next to you better than you know yourself and Danny sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. 

Must be why Dylan was, arguably, better at mentalism that Danny was. But it would take a hell lot more than Dylan being able to link Daniel’s persona to a city that would make the showman lower himself to mentalism. He’d keep to his card tricks and seduction, for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright next chapter we'er finally getting to the casino, exposition over. So with the way this story is going so far I can imagine it's probably going to -in the end- be over 20k words so strap yourselves in!! We're going for a wild ride.


	3. Burning Up For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because who really likes the heat?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....Cherry did you not realize that Act 1 freakin took place in Vegas so of course Danny would have been to Vegas. For those who don't know THEN NO OF COURSE I DIDNT MAKE A MISTAKE BECAUSE I AM OVI A WRITING A GOD. -_- whoops!! (yeah yeah yeah I fixed it).

By the time they had reached the motel which Dylan had set as the safe house earlier that same day, Danny had realized one very important fact. He fucking hated Vegas. 

He hadn’t been in the west coast sahara since their first show together as the Horseman. And Daniel guessed that in all the rush and adrenaline that the first show and being hauled in by the FBI, that he hadn’t had time to fully come to terms with how much he despised the town. The heat, the sand, the wind that felt less like a cooling breeze and more like someone was stood right in front of him breathing wet, hot breaths right into the showman's face. 

All of it. 

Daniel guessed his discontent was clearly painted over his features as he walked out into the empty parking lot, by the way Dylan laughed quietly next to him. 

“I don’t know why you’re laughing.” Daniel shot over to the other man, his arms crossed as he tried to quell his growing annoyance by slowly counting to ten as he continued, “You are subject to the exact weather I am.” 

“While I certainly wouldn’t choose to be stranded in the middle of California’s deserts.” Dylan said, pulling out a pair of sunglasses from his bag as he spoke, “It is sort of nice, reminds me of summer in Brooklyn.” 

“Hardly.” Danny muttered as he wiped the growing patch of sweat on the back of his neck. By this time, the showman was severely regretting his standard uniform of long pants and a button down as he could feel a patch of sweat quickly growing on his lower back and making his shirt stick to his back with every step he took. And so as he stepped into the motel room that Dylan unlocked with a keycard he pulled from his wallet, Daniel couldn’t even make a smart comment about the 70s carpet and oddly erotic coin slot next to the mattress as he sighed in relief as the A/C washed over him. 

“You too?” Jack asked from where he was seated on the edge of the room’s only bed, pulling his thin shirt away from his chest continuously in some effort to fan himself. 

At Daniel’s nodd, Lula pushed herself away from the desk where she had been leaning against and rolled her eyes, saying, “You’re both a bunch of babies. It’s hardly even warm outside, it’s barely in the nineties.” At the incredulous look Danny shot her, Lula shrugged and added, “I grew up in Arizona, this is practically winter weather.” 

Cutting off anymore talk of weather, Dylan walked forward and took a seat on the dangerously wobbly desk chair next to Lula before saying, “Alright as much as i’d love to hear about all of your individual temperature preferences, we do have a job to do.” 

“We’ll let’s hear it boss.” Merritt called out, taking a seat on the opposite side of the bed as Jack and leaned back on the headboard, “What’s the grand plan.” 

“Glad you asked,” Dylan said, leaning forward in his seat, “because if you take away nothing else it’s that sticking to the roles I give you is critical for this job.” He paused to give Danny a pointed glance and, before the showman could retaliate, continued, “Now if everyone could focus for the next twenty or so minutes I’d appreciate it. Alright, let’s get down to it…” 

Besides the fact that Daniel prided himself on countering practically every way, the showman found himself again focusing only partially on what Dylan was saying as the older man spoke. Half of what he said, Daniel already knew. Don’t talk to the target until he initiates it, don’t keep names or numbers on you at any time, Jack don’t throw firecrackers into the middle of a fist fight, and so on and so forth. 

It wasn’t until Danny heard his name followed by his supposed role that the showman brought himself fully into the present in order to protest. 

“Hold on a second,” Daniel said, turning the attention of the other four towards him, “Did you just hear you say Jack’s got a job as the new bartender at the main restaurant, and I’m working the guys favorited blackjack table?” 

“Congratulations Danny boy,” Merritt said, turning his eyes from Dylan and towards Daniel would still was poised leaning slightly back on the door frame, “Turns out your future as a parrot is bright after all.” 

“Merritt please,” Dylan said, not truly berating the other man his words as he turned towards Daniel, “His name is Mr. Critelli Atlas, and -as merritt so eloquently put- yes i did just say that. What about it?” 

“Why can’t you have Jack run the cards table? I’d rather not be some Italian wanna be monster’s caddy.” 

“Well neither do I!” Jack called out from where he was on the bed, now laying back on his hands which he had folded behind his head, a thin sheen of sweat showing on his forehead. 

“Danny’s got a point, Jack does have better sleight of hand when it comes to playing cards.” Lula offered, standing up and cracking her back before walking over to where Jack lay and running her fingers lightly over his lower stomach. Jack waved her away, not before giving out a high pitched laugh that drew a smile over Lula’s mouth. 

“Oh I wouldn’t go so far as to say that-” 

“Enough.” Dylan said, cutting off Daniel’s next words as he continued, “Nobody’s switching roles. Jack’s slight with cards is exactly why I don’t want him working the tables you think these people wouldn’t be able to pick up on how well he moves the cards.” He turned towards Daniel who had resorted to looking everywhere but Dylan's waiting eyes as the older man continued. “Danny you’ve got control over the cards, but not Jack’s natural fluidity with them. Besides,” He paused, standing as well and waiting until Daniel meet his gaze before saying, “you’ve got enough charisma hidden under that layer of jackass that he should spill some trade secrets when he hopped up on opioids and stealing the wealth of the innocent.” 

“Flattery gets you nowhere.” Daniel said, although he couldn't wipe the smug grin that had nestled itself onto his face at Dylan’s words. There had always been something about compliments from Dylan that had warmed Danny’s far better than any shit bottle of spirits could. Dylan went on to explain the remainder of the setup, Merritt acting as another low life loan shark interested in drugs (not too far from the man's true persona) who was to get himself lodged within Critelli’s inner circle and Lula as the overly friendly hotel manager whose job it was to ensure the room’s Critelli used for his little ‘parties’ where up to par. Then of course Jack taking the job as the talkative bartender of Critelli’s favourite five star joint whose booze flowed almost as easily as the secrets revealed within its walls. And finally Dylan, who had graciously allowed himself the role as a newbie millionaire gambler in way over his head who ‘somehow’ finds his way into Critelli’s radar of scams. 

By the time Dylan had run through it not once, but twice, Daniel was sure they had reached the mid to late afternoon and Jack was all but asleep on the bed. 

“Alright kids I’m calling it a day,” Merritt interrupted, standing and making his way over to the door despite Lula’s claim of ‘it’s two in the afternoon’ as he continued, “I’m sure you’re always as tired of seeing one another as i am as seeing you.” 

“Merritt’s right,” Dylan said, much to the surprise of everyone in the room, “We’ll reconvene tomorrow morning but for tonight, everyone get some rest.” At his last words Dylan shot a look towards Merritt who waved it off before slipping out of the motel and back into the white sand and shitty parking lot. 

“Well if we’re done here,” Lula started, inching her way towards the door as she pulled Jack behind her, the younger magician blinking a few times as he woke himself up, “then we’ll just be off.” Danny stepped out of their way just before Lula had dashed out of the room, Jack’s ‘see you guys tomorrow’ ringing out behind them before Danny closed the door behind them. 

“If you think I’m going back out there, you’re crazy.” Daniel said, taking Jack’s place seated on the edge of the bed, when he saw Dylan move towards the door. 

“Not likely, I’m far too dehydrated already to go back out there.” Dylan responded, clicking the lock on the door closed behind him and trapping the bright sandy strip outside. 

“Good, because if I ever have to look at sand again I think I’ll-” Suddenly Danny found himself cut off as Dylan's lips were pressed against his own. For a moment Daniel allowed himself to breath in Dylan’s scent, taste the stale air he had breathed in and the remainder of far too sweet coffee from their early morning on his tongue, and feel the sharp edge and blunt front of Dylan's teeth as the older man nipped at Danny’s invading tongue. “You know you’re irritating when you argue with me.” Danny could feel the truth behind Dylan’s words as the older man pressed his front against Daniel and the latter could feel something hard and warm press against his inner thigh. 

“And you’re equally infuriating when you shut me up.” The showman responded, digging his teeth into the junction between Dylan’s neck and the top of his bronzed shoulders, while Dylan stepped forward sending them both tumbling back onto the cheap mattress and stiff sheets. 

“Still hot?” Dylan asked, as he tore off Danny’s shirt a licked a trail from his glistening chest and down lower towards his alf undo pants. 

“Burning.” Danny grinned into Dylan's mouth when it returned to his own, Dylan’s lips salted and groaning as Daniel drove his hips upwards to meet the older man’s. Driving down into Daniel, Dylan’s weight kept Danny pinned down onto the mattress but that didn’t stop the showman's’ hands which dragged down Dylan’s now bare back, leaving little red crescent moons and long pink scratches on the golden skin. 

Where Danny was all hard lines and aesthetic angles, lovely when glaring down an officer but not always the most practical in sex when his elbows seemed to hit everything, Dylan was everything. He was the hard muscles of his legs and chest, strengthened after years of FBI work and a grudge held tight. He was the sharp angle of a stubble covered chin and the round curve of his ass which Daniel seemed capable only of digging his nails into as Dylan drove into him. And he was the hard edge to his voice as he whispered horridly filthy things into Daniel’s quivering jaw and the soft edges to his stomach and hands that pressed up against Daniel as they both lay panting in the afterglow. 

Dylan’s groans pulled Daniel back to the present and he busied himself with licking and sucking purpled bruises into the croak of Dylan’s collarbone while said man’s hand wrapped around his cock in one slick, warm movement. 

“I love you so much.” Dylan muttered into Danny’s hair, before burying himself between the showman’s legs and nipping lightly as the fair skin of Daniel’s inner thighs. 

Danny shivered, what from he couldn’t tell, and he felt his back arch of the bed as he groaned out, “Just fuck me already.” And Dylan did, all of it filled with Danny’s growls and bites and dylan pushed him to the edge again and again before finally allowing Daniel the relief he wanted to snatch himself but knew he could never take. They laid on on that cheap motel bed, both panting and Dylan’s fingers ghosting patterns over Danny’s back and shoulder while the other tried to clamp down on his thoughts. 

The room was silent save for the sound of muffled breathing and the white noise from the A/C in the corner, and as he faced the dirtied wall across from them Daniel opened his mouth to speak. 

“Dylan I-” love you. Daniel added the last part silently in his head, but he knew it wouldn't have mattered as Dylan’s evened and slow breaths reached his ears. He settled into the bed and the feeling of Dylan’s still damp skin against his own, and Daniel realized he was still sweating. Laughing quietly at how only Dylan could make him enjoy the heat, Daniel shook his head before drifting into his own early evening nap. 

From behind him, Dylan smiled and allowed himself to drift into sleep once Danny had relaxed against him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also shoutout to anyone who got my Jonas brothers reference. You're welcome ;)


	4. Jackpot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Give me some love. Give me some love and hold me tight.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh I'm so mean to Danny ;) I'm really enoying doing this character study of a more emotional side of Daniel so let me know if you guys like it as well!!

For the second time that week, Daniel found himself awoken yet again by a blinding light shot into his previously darkened vision. 

“Christ Dylan.” Daniel muttered, rolling over into the sheets and groaning as he said, “Since when have you been such an early riser? I thought I was supposed to be the insomniac” 

“Well considering how it’s nearing nine in the morning it’d be quite the stretch to call me an insomniac.” Dylan joked, moving away from the window and over towards the bathroom sink dressed only in the pair of briefs he had thrown to the floor the previous night. Once he heard the water turn on, Danny pushed the sheets away from him and rubbed a hand over his face as he glared at the warming and blinding light that poured in through the window. 

“Move over I’m getting in the shower.” Daniel said, slipping past Dylan who rolled his eyes as his gaze trained Daniel’s naked back before the showman could move inside the shower. 

“Your new ‘boss’ has a meeting with you at noon,” Dylan said around his toothbrush, and Daniel responded only by sticking his head under the surprising strong flow of the shower head and breathing in the soothing heat of the water, “Phase one goes into action tonight.” 

Phase one, Danny thought and rolled his eyes at the cliche before asking, his voice muffled by the steaming water running down his face and chest, “And what exactly does that entail?” He, of course, knew exactly what was happening later that same day but Daniel couldn't help but enjoy the sound of Dylan scoffing in annoyance as he spit into the sink. 

“For god's sake.” Danny could hear Dylan move back into the bedroom, tossing clothes onto the bed as he explained, “Galt’s come back from poker tournament in Madrid, and we’re doing nothing more than recon. Real show doesn’t start until Friday when he’s holding a blackjack tournament that I’ll get myself into. That’s when Merritt’s gonna make himself known and we’ll start fucking up the guy's life. Until then we all just need to work together as smoothly as a well oiled machine.” Daniel mouthed the last of Dylan’s words to himself, the older man had repeated them like a mantra over the past few months, so much so that Danny felt like the phrase was permanently embedded into his mind. 

Turning off the water, Daniel wrapped a towel loosely around his waist and walked out to where Dylan stood and watched the older man dress for a moment. Whereas Daniel’s hair had finally begun to fully grow back, Dylan’s tight, black curls still shone and Danny watched as the former agent slipped a lightweight jacket over his broad shoulders before turning to bend down towards the floor. 

When Dylan picked up his bag, stuffing in last night's clothing quickly, Danny quirked his eyebrows and asked, “Why aren’t you leaving your stuff? You’ll be back in the room tonight.” 

“Oh this isn’t my room kid, it’s yours.” Dylan said, smirking at the shocked expression Danny sent him, “I can bet you easy money that the minute I get on that guy's radar he’ll have plenty of men in black suits following me and I can’t very well play the role of wealthy gambling addict if I’m staying in a motel fifteen miles from the strip.” He crossed the distance between Danny and himself easily, and Dylan paused his speech for a moment as he gripped the back of Daniel’s neck and pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss. “But a fresh faced dealer new to town? More than believable for you to be staying here.” Dylan all but whispered, his voice dragging low and rough from where his lips sat stationed only centimeters away from Daniel’s ears. 

“Well then I’ll have to make good use of whatever posh establishment you’ve put yourself in.” Daniel said, biting at Dylan’s lips once and hard before stepped away to let his towel drop to the floor. Dylan rolled his eyes, but left his gaze on Danny nonetheless as the showman pulled on his own clothing. 

“I’ll see you tonight then?” Dylan asked, and Danny shrugged as he slipped a short sleeve button down shirt over his shoulders. The heat from outside and the light from the window was already making Danny’s skin burn and he shoved his still damp hair back in one swift motion as he let out an aggravated sigh. 

“Perhaps.” The showman said over his shoulder, turning back towards Dylan once he had finished with his shirt, and he grabbed his wallet as he added, “If you get lucky enough.” Danny rested his hand on Dylan’s chest for a moment, Dylan resting against the wall just left of the doorframe, and Danny allowed his gaze to rest on the hazel eyes gazing down at him with Dylan’s other three word catchphrase resting on his own tongue. Just as his breathing subconsciously slipped into time alongside Dylan’s own breaths, Danny shook his head and stepped away from the older man. 

Dylan’s eyes had turned softer, the teasing edge gone from their banter moments before. His hand moved to cup Danny’s face but the showman turned away, deftly cutting the string that had kept his eyes boring into Dylan’s own. 

“I’ll see you tonight then.” Danny heard Dylan speak and he let him press a kiss against his cheekbone before, giving Dylan neither a yes or no, as he yanked open the door and stepped outside. And for once, as Daniel walked across the smouldering black top and to the three year old sedan Dylan had pointed out earlier, he hoped the desert sun would burn him. 

 

Danny drove faster than he wanted too as he speed through the desert, quickly replacing the dead looking plants and hills of sand as smooth as water with strip malls and trailer homes before hitting the strip with all it’s bright and lying signs full force  
He wasn’t upset, J. Daniel Atlas didn’t get upset. Not with such domestic dilemmas as finding himself uncharacteristically muted over three stupid, fucking words. Of course not. 

But as he drove, slowing slightly as he began to pass other forms of intelligent life, Daniel tried to force himself to remember the last time he had said those words and meant it. Never growing up, perhaps in the years before he could now remember, but certainly not after hitting age ten when dad slipped away with the family savings and mom favoured unnecessary antidepressants over a kid. Not in highschool to any girlfriend he strung along for a week or so, who would break up with him in the school yard or over text once they realized he wouldn’t take them dances, compliment their choice of shoes, or fought of older kids taunts with silly magic tricks or well placed elbow jabs. 

Turning into the back parking lot of the building he was supposed to be meeting at, Danny rested his head against the steering wheel as he recalled the one time he had said and truly (at least to the extent he could) meant the phrase, I love you. 

It had been with a girl whose red hair burned brighter than Daniels lust for her smooth curves, and whose sharp tongue and skills had been the first true opponents Danny had ever battled with. 

“I love you.” Daniel had whispered through bites to tender skin, as her legs had encased him and her bittersweet taste filled his mouth. 

“Oh Danny,” Henley had moaned out, her fingers pulling at his hair with such ferocity that it brought tears to the showman's eyes which spurred Daniel on with even more intent, “You shouldn’t say such nonsense.” They hadn’t fought in almost three days, a record for sure, but at her words Daniel wanted to break the streak. His grip on her legs tightened and Henley groaned out at his touch, misinterpreting his grip for lust instead of anger. 

“Are you saying you don’t love me?” Daniel said as he returned his lips to hers, his voice joking but the words holding truth as he slipped his fingers inside of her. Henley had been the first women Danny had ever had to compete with, the only person he’d known who would fight him as much as he fought them. She drove him to be better at his craft and cut him down to size when his words drifted beyond confidence and into vanity. Danny craved not only her body and warm movements, but her voice and tightening grasp as well. And if that wasn't love, the showman didn’t know what was. 

“Of course not.” With that, a different three worded phrase filled his mind and Daniel stopped his moment despite Henley’s sound of annoyance, instead watching as her dilated pupils slowly, returned to normal as she asked, “You don’t… you don’t think you love me Daniel? Do you?” 

“Of course not.” Danny said, repeating Henley’s words back at her before he moved off of her and out of the room ignoring her words that followed him. They’d fought the next morning, over something stupid like burnt coffee instead of Danny’s reddened eyes. 

He had no reason to be upset, Daniel knew that and reminded himself of it as he speed walked across the parking lot and the spotlight from the sun above, but the rejection had struck her most over compensated chord in Daniel’s entire body. 

His pride. 

“Not now.” Danny muttered out loud to his thoughts, cutting them off as he walked into the casino. Even now, at quarter to eleven in the morning, the lower floor was filled with patrons dressed up to the nines and slot machines ringing out stupid jingles and flashing lights. Whether they were still out from a late night or just beginning another day Daniel didn’t know, and honestly didn’t care. All he was focused on was finding the manager whose name dylan had scrawled onto his hand. 

“Can I help you sir?” A server in well tailored suit pants and dress shirt asked, staring down at Daniel’s lack of three piece suit with obvious distaste as he plastered a smile onto his face. 

“I’m here to speak with Ms. Pak? She uh, she told me to come in this morning.” Danny said, giving the man a sheepish smile despite the scowl he wanted to plaster across his face. “It’s my first day.” The server’s smile dropped down to a nod of understanding, and he offered Daniel a point across the floor to where a older asian women stood speaking to another server with a stern expression and a pointed finger. 

“Thanks man.” Danny said but the man was already walking away from him and towards and middle age man who had lost three consecutive times on the slot machine and was waving his emptied glass around with an air of privileged wealth. The showman watched the interaction for a moment, the waiters calming words which held back the bite he had forced upon Daniel earlier and the rich man’s intoxicated stumble over the simple request, before crossing over the floor and over to where Ms. Pak had been pointed out. 

“Uh, excuse me I just-” Daniel’s words were cut off as the women held up a poorly manicured hand, finishing whatever she had been scolding the other worker about before sending him away and turning towards Daniel. 

“Yeah? What do you want?” She asked, turning around the face the showman full on while Daniel glanced down quickly in order to take her full appearance in. It wasn’t that she looked old, sure she was a good head shorter that Daniel and had a variety of frown lines creased into her forehead. It was the way she rested her weight forward slightly, mirroring Danny’s own stance, the way she looked at him with expectancy, and how her finger tapped against her skirt clad leg with utter impotence that aged her. She looked like a women who had seen enough shit that she didn’t have time for whatever mediocrity Daniel could offer her. 

Danny couldn't wait to prove her wrong. 

“Yeah I’m the new...I’m the new hire.” Daniel said, rubbing a faux nervous hand over the back of his scalp as Pak looked down to the clipboard she had been resting against her hip. 

“Oh yeah, I got the message about your transfer here last week. Welcome to Vegas.” She glanced up from her papers, blowing a wisp of graying black hair out from her eyes before offering Danny her hand and saying, “Alicia Pak. Pleasure to meet you…?” 

“Hugh Lester.” Daniel offered, meeting her hand with his own and smiling politely. He’d fought Dylan tooth and nail when they first returned from London and Dylan had wanted to give Danny the identity of someone named ‘Chester’. Despite the fact that Dylan had wanted to keep it solely on the ground of principal, and because he loved to annoy Danny almost as much as the latter enjoyed annoying him, but in the end Dylan had agreed to let him change it when Danny burned all of his left socks. 

“...and I’d assume you're fluent in blackjack? The patrons we have coming in don’t usually care for conversation but won't hesitate to remove your tip if you slow the game down.” Realizing Pak was moving, Danny surged forward until he was meeting her brisk pace and nodded as Pak spoke. 

“Of course. Lester’s the name and cards the game.” Daniel said, giving out a short and uncomfortable laugh as Pak looked on at him with no hint of a smile on her face. 

“Right.” She said, stopping as they entered they employees only section of the floor and turning towards Daniel with an expression mixed with annoyance and boredom, “We only have a few rules down here on the floor.” When she paused, her tilted eyes looking expectantly at him Daniel wondered if she expected him to be taking notes on her every word. This worry, however, was quelled when she started speaking again, “One, never say no to a patron. They want a drink? Get it for them. They want a pair of white leather gloves to play cards with? You go and find someone to get it for them. Two, keep the games moving. A slow game or lull means less money for us.” Pak stopped again, brushing her bangs back from her face which Daniel could now see was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, before continuing this time looking at Daniel right in the eyes, “And last, no sleeping with clients.”

“What about rule number one? Getting them whatever they want?” Danny joked, letting his poorly crafted laugh die away as her face yet again didn’t break into a smile. 

“If you’re planning on using that pretty little face to make it big, then you won’t be needing this job.” Waving away Danny’s reassurance about how he really really did need this job (despite how big of a lie this truly was), Pak turned back to her clipboard and Danny could see a thin wire earpiece resting around her neck. 

“You’ll need to wear a suit.” Pak said, already turning her attention away from Danny as her attention became quickly focused fully on whatever was written on that clipboard, “And you’re first shift is tonight from 10 until 4 in the morning.” She was already walking away from Daniel as the other thanked her for her time, before she turned around and said, “Welcome to the big show kid.” 

Danny finally allowed himself to roll his eyes at her receding back, before continuing down the other direction of the hallway and towards the employee break room. He took count of the security cameras filling the hallway as he had done when following behind Pak earlier. So far he’d counted thirty camera’s, five in this hallway alone, and three locked doors which could only be opened by a card swiped across a slot in the handle. 

Despite how he didn’t know what was behind curtain one, two, or three, Danny was certain the management card he’d slipped of Pak’s belt would allow him to find out. 

Slipping into the room, and letting the heavy metal door swing closed behind him and Danny glanced around the room before confirming its vacancy. 

“Hey Dylan,” Danny said as soon as his phone ring stopped as the other man answered, “I need to borrow a suit.” 

 

“Look at you all grown up, in your shitty work suit.” Daniel rolled his eyes as Lula squealed behind him, her fingers poking at his shoulders before Danny waved her away. He turned, craning his neck, as he straightened the black bowtie that was digging uncomfortably over his neck. 

“What about my shitty grown up suit?” Jack asked, and Daniel turned to look over at Jack who was wearing a suit almost identical to Daniel's save for the black tie that rested against his chest instead of the uniform bowtie that Daniel again pulled away from his neck. To Daniel’s enjoyment Jack’s question drew Lula away from him and towards the younger magician as she assured him about how horribly shitty and grown up he looked as well. 

“Well hopefully, due to my lack of suit, I look like a shitty young adult.” Merritt joked, earning a round of laughter from the other horseman who were currently gathered around his ‘apartment’. Or rather Gary Stance’s apartment, who was the hardly known loanshark Merritt was masquerading as. Of course as such character, Merritt was lacking the black tie attire Jack and Daniel (as well as Dylan who had yet to make his appearance) were dressed in and was leaning against the small windows dressed in some thrifted tweed jacket and pants. Daniel thought he looked horrible, but then the showman also thought that the outfit matched Merritt pretty well as well. Old, dirty, and something Daniel generally tried to avoid. 

“Are you even going into the casino tonight?” Jack asked Merritt, who responded only with a shake off the head and a wave of his hand. 

“No, sadly not.” Merritt said, turning away from the shitty view offered by his windows and towards the other three, “But I will be watching from the restaurant across the street. So if I can’t be in the action at least I can get a front row seat.” 

“Optimistic pessimism. Truly a losers point of view.” Danny responded, quirking his eyebrow towards Merritt as he heard Dylan open the door behind them. 

“Of course, Buffy.” Dylan’s entrance cut off the banter long enough for him to interrupt both men, gesturing for Merritt and Danny both to come up to where the rest of the Horseman were sat around the coffee table. 

“Lula you should already be leaving, so should the both of you.” Dylan said, gesturing towards Danny and Jack together as he glanced down at his mobile. “Do you have the codes to get into the security cameras?” He asked and Merritt nodded in response, flashing a blank wrists which Danny assumed held multiple black light codes written on the top layer of his skin. It took a moment longer of Lula asking Dylan questions about the names she had already learned, before they were breaking away and out into the night. 

Before Daniel could walk out of the apartment, following behind Jack and Lula who slid into their respective cabs in order to head into the casino, he briefly made eye contact with Dylan who nodded to him slightly and didn’t look away until Danny nodded back. 

As he walked out of the apartment, Danny heard Merritt leave behind him and he said, “You enjoying being the mascot?” 

“As much as you’ll enjoy being a caddy to some rich ponce,” Merritt offered, moving to head down towards the parking lot and the run down second hand car that waited for him but not before saying, “But i think you’ve already proved you’re good at that.” He held Daniel’s gaze for a second, before the showman grinned and Merritt allowed himself a laugh. “Don’t fuck anything up Buffy.” 

Merritt called over his shoulder and Danny flicked his middle finger up at him, muttering, “Speak for yourself old man.” Beginning the five minute walk down to where his own car was waiting, Danny again pulled at his stiff collar and grinned to himself. It’d been a long enough time since Danny had been able to use his skills on such a large stage and the showman couldn’t wait until the curtain would be pulled back in order to allow him to step forward and into a spotlight. 

And even tonight, in this pre-show information gather, Danny still felt the tumultuous bubble of anticipation begin to grow in his gut. 

He turned the ignition in the car and felt the engine heat up beneath the thin steel shell of the car. As he drove through the strip, the lights reflecting onto his windshield and the voices of the people covering the streets floating into the car and past Daniel’s ear. The casino's large sign glowed in the night, the word ‘Aurora’ flashing in a bright white against the reflective black walls of the building. 

Walking up to the back entrance of the massive building, the roar of the strip still audible to Daniel’s ears, the showman grinned to himself, pulled again at his collar, and straightened his jacket before pushing open the doors and slipping inside. 

Let the show begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to anyone who got my reference in the summary of this chapter. You da true homie.


	5. Easily Seduced and Even More Easily Cut Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so the show begins, perhaps a bit too well. AKA how Dannt may be skilled with cards but he has no fucking clue how to gamble.

Two hours passed before Daniel thought he was being even remotely productive. Of those two hours, he’d spent most the the time silently dealing out cards to the array of patrons (none of which spurred Danny’s interest in the slightest) and tapping the button in the inner pocket of his coat in order to send Merritt the ever changing number and location of the security guards that filled the room. 

Faces passed, a few spoke to him one being a elderly women with graying hair and eyes who had asked Daniel if he knew where she could buy some of the ‘wonderfully reviving’ marijuana she had enjoyed the previous night. When Daniel had denied any knowledge she’d walked away eyes downcast and the showman couldn’t help but wonder if he’d broken one of Pak’s rules. 

“He’s coming in.” Daniel could hear Dylan speaking into his ear, into the miniscule earpiece Daniel had wedged into his ear earlier in the night, and he smiled down at the young couple who wanted to place another bet, as he listened to the older man’s voice. “Galt’s pulling up now, Got quite the entourage with him, almost four cars-” Dylan’s voice cut off and Daniel held back a wince as his ears were filled with static before Dylan’s voice came back, “-he’s got some girl with him. Don’t talk to her he shot a look to kill at the server who did. I’ll be following behind, make sure you let me in the game.” 

‘Like I’d keep you out’, Danny thought at Dylan’s last words, turning to nod at the man who had snapped twice now in order to get his attention. 

Suddenly, about half the table slipped away and Daniel could finally see the front entrance of the casino and who was walking through it. The man in the front of the group was obviously Galt, a dark suit, slicked back hair that was almost white in it’s blondeness, and girl he held on his side like some kind of expensive jewelry. He appeared very European in appearance, but as he neared Daniel could see his eyes were entirely American as they looked around the room with ownership and greed. 

As they neared the table, Galt and his women alongside three burly looking men and one man with a pointed face and sparrow hands, Daniel glanced over towards his right and saw Pak talking furiously to the head manager of the hotel.

Not wanting to draw his attention away from the table, Daniel turned back towards the table just in time to see Galt take the center seat. His four companions slipped into the seats left of him while the girl stood behind and stopped down in order to rest her prettily painted lips next to his ear. The last two seats were filled by a blonde and west coast looking man who was sweating through his tan suit and had already flagged down the waiter twice to refill his drink and Dylan who Daniel hadn’t seen enter. 

After they placed their beats, and Daniel tapped his hidden button repeatedly in order to send merritt the number and general outline of the faces that sat around him, Daniel began spreading out the cards and listened to the conversation that was growing. 

“Mr. Goldman,” The blonde man said to Galt, who barely glanced at him over his cards while the other continued, his voice lowered slightly, “I uh, you see my boss he uh-” The man cut himself off and cleared his throat, rubbing a hand over his jaw and Daniel couldn’t help but look over towards him and wince as he tried to find his voice again. The man, Goldman, spoke like he was fresh off the desk but by the look of him Daniel knew he couldn’t be. His graying tie, soft face, and slight beer gut that was straining against his suit that may have been popular ten years ago but now looked poorly vintage under the bright lights of the casino floor. As he continued, Daniel forcefully pulling his attention back to the table as Galt rested his gaze on him, “I’d like to speak to you about your job openings-” 

“You’d be best to surrender now.” Everyone at the table turned to look at Dylan when he spoke, Goldman’s eyes widening in fear and Galt raising his brow only slightly as Dylan continued, pointing to Goldman’s hand which he had rested practically fully face up on the table, “Your cards, I mean. That hands only going to screw you over.” 

Goldman turned towards Galt, his eyes still wide, and when the other man only scoffed slightly and returned back to his cards he tossed his cards down to the table and muttered an “excuse me” before leaving the table in a surrender of possibly more than his cards. 

Dylan moved his seat, in order to sit next to Galt who still ignored him as Dylan sighed and said, “Couldn’t help myself from pointing that out, not even a challenge playing against someone like that.” At that Galt looked up from his cards and placed them down on the table before pushing another bet forward as his turn passed, the pointed face man now turning to scowl down at his cards in fake consideration. 

“I’d have to say I agree.” Galt’s voice was tinged with a forced accent, something from a childhood long ago that he was desperately trying to hold onto and Daniel thought it sounded almost Swedish, “I’d much rather take my winnings from someone a bit more, skilled.” He said the last part as though it were a threat, looking straight towards Dylan before settling back into the chair and allowing the girl behind him to kiss at his neck with her lips colored with the color of blood. When Galt pulled away, Daniel caught her blue eye’s for a moment and she smiled at him and almost purred next to Galt’s ear as she whispered something airy and foreign into his ear. 

Furrowing his brows, Galt turned to listen to her before his eyes moved up to glance over at Daniel who meet his eyes for a moment before returning to the decks spread out before him. 

“I’ll drink to that!” Dylan said, taking a sip of his drink before offering Galt his hand and saying, “Jay Cornell, entrepreneur and gambling enthusiast.” He paused to raise his glass towards the girl next to Galt, and Daniel caught sight of Lula standing across the floor for a moment before she slipped inside the hotel part of the building, “You two here on a little honeymoon?” 

Galt laughed, a dry yet alluring sound, and rested his chin between his thumb and forefinger as he said, “Sadly not, this lovely thing has yet to allow me to take her hand.” Even as he spoke Daniel knew he was lying, the way he avoided her name and gaze confirmed it. And by the way Dylan nodded understandably, tossing back the rest of his drink and, he did as well. 

The game went another ten minutes, Dylan playing up the façade of drunken rich boy rather well as he lamented about divorcing his gold digging wife earlier that year and all about his company's success as the now top producer of ink cartridges with Galt offering him only an occasional glance and the brand of his watch that Dylan had shown interest in. And while he may have said nothing, Daniel knew that even the close proximity and the way Galt’s eyes would twitch with Dylan’s words was giving the older magican more information that an interrogation ever would. Finally, after Galt’s girl -whose name he had let slip was Gia- had taken a seat in his lap and Galt had sent two of his men to the back of the building, Dylan let his hand crafted from the cards he had literally up his sleeve fall onto the table in a sigh of defeat. 

“Looks like I overplayed my luck.” Dylan said, throwing his hands up as he sighed in mock annoyance at losing the chips they’d taken from Galt’s own account earlier in the evening, “Guess tonight just wasn’t my night.” 

At Dylan’s relaxed demeanor, despite losing close to five thousand dollars, Galt finally appeared to be intrigued in the other man and turned to face Dylan while Daniel counted up the chips he had one and placed them in neat little rows in front of Galt’s seat and Gia’s waiting eyes.  
“You seem to be well versed in the game,” Galt started, nodding to the man with the pointed face who began recounting and checking over every chip Daniel had just placed down as Galt spoke, “Are you signed up for the tournament tomorrow, recon the prize is large enough even for a man of your wealth.” 

Daniel wanted to scoff at how the man spoke, as though he was a lead character in some action filled drama and the showman found himself waiting for Galt to -with and equal about of drama- yell out line. 

“Hey any money is money,” Dylan said, laughing over the remainder of his third drink and Daniel could see Galt’s posture twitch just the slightest with Dylan’s words, “I’ll have my people put my name on the list.” 

“Good.” Galt said, although his attention was already moving away as the man to his side nodded and waved another server over who took the chips away with a smile. He nodded towards Dylan who raised an empty glass in a one sided cheers towards him, and Galt pulled a card out from his jacket and laid in on the table in front of Danny’s now stilled hands. 

“I always appreciate silent dealers, have your manager place you at table three tomorrow.” Galt said before he and his entourage were up and walking away from the table, leaving Daniel to grab the slim business card in front of him. It held only a room number, written in small type and Daniel hardly had to think to figure out this was not a request for him to run the tournament tomorrow, it was an invitation. There was no reason for Galt to even ask Daniel’s manager for permission, he owned the damn casino, and so as Daniel watched them leave and felt the stiff paper in the back pocket of his trousers and the showman couldn’t help but wonder what it was Galt truly wanted. 

And he didn’t love the conclusion he came too. 

Just as they left, Daniel could hear the pointed face man whisper “is the meeting still on sir?” and watched Galt nod in response, his hand slipping down to rest on the Gia’s lower back as they walked. By the way Dylan cocked his head slightly and turned his glass over in his left hand, Danny knew he had heard as well. 

“Can I get another round?” Dylan asked, holding up his drink and looking towards Danny instead of the servers milling around the floor. 

“Sorry sir, but I’m off the clock.” At Danny’s response, Dylan nodded and turned to flag down a different waiter and Daniel slipped away from behind the table which now read closed. They’d planned the conversation earlier, Dylan’s way of asking whether or not Danny could follow whomever he needed. If the showman responded with the words he had said to Dylan moments earlier it was a yes, and if he complied to whatever request Dylan had it was a no. 

Daniel moved quickly from the main floor of the casino and to the hidden employee rooms and pathways behind the walls. He shed his bowtie with graceful ease (most definitely not tossing it into his locker in the breakroom with more aggression than needed) and switched his uniform jacket for some slightly shimmering navy thing that tugged slightly at his shoulder. All of this Daniel did in under two minutes, taking the remaining thirty seconds before he would reach the door that lead to where Galt and his men stood to tap in a few lines to Merritt. 

‘I got his room number, they’re outside now but I’m going up to check it next.’ 

Once he hit the last word out, Daniel slipped outside to where the garbage was usually kept and leaned up against the dirtied wall of the dumpster to listen in on the conversation happening just meters away from him. 

“...of course I mean no disrespect sir, it’s just that… that you haven’t answered o-our messages-” 

The first voice, who Danny could easily pace as Goldman through its quiver and desperation, was cut off as Galt’s voice spoke out, just as sure of himself as he was inside the casino, “And so you decided to interrupt my game and speak of such private matters in front of strangers? You do know how much I like to keep my private life private.” There was no response and for a minute Daniel heard only the tapping of leather shoes against the ground and the sound of his own muffled breathing as he tried to block out the stench from the dumpster behind him. 

“It’s just that, that we’ve been getting so many questions after Monte Carlo and now in Vegas there’s an even higher FBI presence. W-we want out, it’s gone too far and there’s too much blood for us to-” 

“You knew exactly what it is we do when you took that money.” Galt’s voice cut the other man off yet again, and even Danny felt himself still at the sheer ferocity of the other’s voice, “If your boss wants to leave, well then we’ll send you with a message for him. That there's never enough blood.” He paused and Danny could hear nothing but hushed whispers and the heavy, wet breaths of Goldman who still remained silent under Galt’s words. “Mod if you would, I have a meeting I should be getting too.” 

“Of course sir, consider it done.” Daniel didn’t even need to look around the metal corner of the dumpster to know it was the man with the pointed face who spoke. He had been literally sitting at the right hand of Galt all evening, so it would make sense for him to be the man Galt would speak directly too, and his whiny and stretched voice matched his appearance well. 

Daniel was already inside when he heard the gunshot, quieted slightly by a muffler Danny presumed but truly he didn’t have a clue. The showman had never been to adept at using guns, he’d rather trick someone into submission rather than blast their brains out. 

Once inside, after sharing the entire scene he had overheard to Merritt through the button in his jacket Daniel turned back into the break room in order to head back into the hotel and up to the room number written on the card. He was momentarily stopped however, when Pak in all her set brows and clipboard stepped in front of him. 

“You’re needed at the tournament tomorrow, same time as tonight.” Pak said, eyes set downcast on her board as Daniel nodded. 

“Yeah, yeah that’s fine.” 

“You got a date?” Pak asked, glancing over that Daniel’s new suit jacket with her brows quirked. 

Daniel laughed, shaking his head and lying straight through his teeth as he said, “If only. No, I’ve got a bachelor party to catch the last few hours of.” 

Pak seemed to take accept his excuse by the way she returned to her clipboard while saying, “Well then we’ll see you tomorrow at eleven.” 

“See you.” Daniel said but the older women was already walking away, speaking into one of the ear pieces the showman knew Lula had on as well and so he felt no need to follow her. Making his way into the lobby, and later the elevator that shot him up to the top floor quickly, Daniel leaned back against the cool glass walls and peered down to the floor quickly receding from his view. He could see what he assumed was the top of Dylan’s head heading towards the bar where he knew Jack was working keeping track of every face and voice inside the casino. Lula he knew was cataloguing the rooms and hallways of the twenty story building and Daniel flipped the business card between his fingers as the elevator counted down the last floors. 

27, 28, 29, 30, DING. 

When the lift finally stopped, Daniel stepped out only to be stopped by a large man whose width seemed to trip Danny. The man opened his mouth to speak, most likely to send Daniel back down the lift or out to the back to where Goldman’s corpse had been, but stopped when he saw the card slipping through Daniel’s nimble fingers. 

“Go ahead.” He said, stepping away to allow Danny to walk towards the only door in the hall. Figures Galt would’ve had an entire fucking floor. 

Danny knocked once on the door and when he heard a “come in” opened the door to step inside. Countering Danny’s expectations that he was walking into some sort of italian mobster wannabe’s room filled with chained tigers, cash overflowing out of bathtubs, and champagne the room looked like any other hotel room Daniel had seen but triple the size. In fact the only thing noticeable about the room was the breathtaking view in the form of an almost all glass wall across from the bed and the fact that there, was in fact, a bottle of expensive champagne in a bucket of ice on the counter. 

“Uh… I g-got your card.” Daniel called out, forcing his voice to break and come out uneven as he tried to mask his eyes which were pulling every corner of the room into his memory with the sound of fresh faced kid who’d never seen the inside of such a penthouse. 

“So I would hope.” Daniel turned to see Galt walk into the room, closing the door to some sort of office behind him as he undid the buttons on his suit jacket, “Well don’t you clean up nicely.” 

So that’s where this was where Galt wanted to go. 

Danny thanked him, allowing himself to blush at Galt’s grin towards him, before moving deeper into the room and asking, “Uh sir, if you don’t mind my asking why exactly did you call my into your room?” Galt said nothing, only smiled deeper as he greedily accepted the persona of innocent virgin Damiel was selling him. 

“Please, call me Elias.” Galt said, and Daniel nodded as he ran the name through his mind. The likelihood of it being real was slim to none, but the showman was still please at that fact that Galt appeared to trust him enough (or at least believe Danny not to be a threat) to even give the showman a name. “Champagne?” 

“Hugh Lester, and yes thank you.” As Galt handed him the drink Daniel raised his glass in a toast alongside Galt before raising it to his lips and pretending to take a sip of the golden liquid. Nothing smelled wrong with it, and Daniel rubbed his thumb over the rim of the glass when Galt turned his back. Galt turned around to face the window as he started speaking again, and Danny rubbed past his side whose hand held his champagne glass in order to stand next to the other man. 

“You don’t seem like a native of this strip.”

“I’m not,” Danny answered, feeling secure enough with the lack of residue he felt on his glass to take a small sip of the alcohol as he spoke, “I just moved here a few months ago.” 

“And where are you from originally? A face like that surely couldn’t be from someplace as retched as Vegas.” Galt continued the small talk, taking a deep sip from his glass before placing it down and sliding off his suit jacket and undoing the top few buttons of his dress shirt. 

Daniel placed his glass down as well, and turned to lean his back against the window as he responded, “California. I just came to Vegas to-” He’d been expecting Galt to cut him off at any moment yet Daniel still found himself stiffen slightly in shock when the other man was suddenly pressed up against him and a pair of lips were attacking his own. He forced a moan out as Galt’s hands roamed his chest and tongue shoved it’s way into his mouth. 

Galt’s hands pulled at Daniel’s clothing and the latter moved his own hands to quickly shed Galt’s designer garments all the while forcing himself to stay malleable and loose in Galt’s hold. Something hard pushed up against Danny’s leg and the showman held back an eyeroll as Galt manhandled him back onto the bed. 

He felt like he was back at college, screwing around with someone who’d get hard after a simple taste and be ready to slip away only minutes later. 

“God aren't you something, want my cock don’t you you little slut.” Galt seemed to be speaking more to himself rather than Danny and the showman turned his head to see their reflection in the windows. Danny seated on the bed, completely naked now by Galt’s hands while the over man stood over top of him stroking himself as he continued his attempted seduction, “Don’t all pretty young things dream about the bad guy?” 

“Not me.” Daniel responded, still playing up up his role of innocent caddy but allowing his own opinions to show through. 

“Oh please,” Galt smirked, pushing Daniel down onto his knees as he continued, “You can't tell me you haven't fantasized about being fucked by some big shot, never thought about slipping below the surface and into a world of sin when you touch yourself late at night.” He must’ve read Daniel’s dilated pupils as lust for himself because Galt grinned and forced himself into Danny’s mouth. As his taste overpowered him, Danny found himself growing hard not from blowing some overly pain lousy fuck, but from the fantasizes he had had about the other side. 

About Dylan before the older man had shown up at that carousel and turned Danny’s entire world upside down. 

And so Danny found himself replaced Galt’s poor attempts at dirty talk with Dylan's low and rough voice that dragged over Danny’s ear like sandpaper and even now sent a shiver down the showman's spine. Moments later, just as quick as Daniel had thought he would be, Galt was spilling into the other man’s mouth with a cry of “oh yeah so fucking good” and a jerk of his hips. Galt needed him to be a stress relief, a simple desire of the flesh, and as he flipped Damiel back onto the bed the showman knew he could do that well. 

Just as Galt crouched over top of him, his now only half hard cock pressed against the curve of Danny’s ass and his fingers gripping Daniel’s sides, he forced a finger inside Danny who groaned out into the sheets. 

“You like that don’t you.” Galt said as he shoved in another finger, and Daniel finally allowed himself to roll his eyes. Just as the burn from Galt’s hand was growing unbearable, Daniel heard a groan come from behind him and felt Galt go slack behind him. 

Finally.

The sleeping pill he’d slipped into Galt’s drink seemed to finally have taken effect, and Daniel grunted out as Galt’s weight feel fully on him. Attempting to move out from underneath the other man, Danny finally succeeded and shoved Galt’s legs off his own with a quick push of his feet against the other man’s calves. Standing up, he shivered as the manufactured chill of the room against his bare skin before leaving the bedroom and going into the office he’d seen Galt exit earlier in the evening. 

Once he plugged in the USB he brought with him into Galt’s computer, which was downloading a copy of every file, code, and imagine Galt had on his computer and would send it to the computer Merritt was working on. Besides that Dany focused on leafing through every spare piece of appear in the room, taking photos of everything he saw. 

By the time he was finished, it was nearly three in the morning (almost an hour after Danny had first entered Galt’s penthouse) and so he dressed quicker than he normally would. Once he had tucked his shirt in and pulled on his now slightly wrinkled blazer, Danny walked over to the door and yanked it open. Standing in the doorframe, still dressed in the tight fitting and almost sheer black dress she had earlier in the evening, was Galt’s girl Gia. 

She took one glance over Danny’s wrinkled clothes before saying, her voice accented slight with something Daniel couldn’t place, “He usually lasts longer.” 

Daniel laughed and nodded saying, “I’ve heard that before.”Before slipping out past Gia’s grin and back towards the elevator which shot him downstairs just as fast as it had brought him up. 

The rest of the Horseman seemed to have already left, and Daniel shot Dylan a quickly text to bring the former agent back onto the strip for Danny to give him the information he’d learned. His phone buzzed just as Danny made his way out onto the street, still just as lively as it was when Daniel had first entered the casino, telling the showman to meet the older man on the corner of two streets Daniel had seen when he first drove onto the strip. 

As he walked, his phone still sat snug in his pocket and his hips still burning from how hard Galt had gripped his hips hours before. 

It had been a long night, and Daniel knew it was going to be an equally long day.


	6. I Went Too Far

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which being irrational is perhaps exactly what Danny needs to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, dear Danny Boy finally get's to say a nice three little worded phrase.

By the time Danny found the corner coffee store Dylan had said he was at, exhaustion had begun to weigh heavily on Danny’s shoulders and the showman found himself stumbling slightly as he entered the store. The store was desolate save for the half awake cashier and the hunched figure in the far corner nursing a double shot of espresso diluted with enough shots of hazelnut and creamer to fill twenty other drinks, or so Danny assumed. 

He’d memorized Dylan's coffee order a while ago. It made mornings a lot easier. 

“Hey.” Dylan said as Danny slipped into the chair across from him, not even offering Danny anything from his cup as he already knew what the other’s answer would be, “So would you like to explain the rather cryptic message you sent me an hour ago.” 

“Oh like you can call me cryptic.” Danny shot back, taking Dylan’s unoffered drink and shooting back a sip of the sugary caffeine in order to wake himself up. He didn’t have time to sleep, and if he needed to drink Dylan’s shit coffee he’d do it. At the look Dylan shot him, raised eyebrows as he slowly pulled his cup back Danny continued, “I got into Galt’s room, downloaded every file off his computer and sent it over to Merritt. We can probably figure out everyone he’s screwed over and get them into the show tomorrow, if we start working now, I don’t know where Lula is but we can get Jack off work and -” 

“Wait, jesus just, hold on a second.” Dylan said, holding up his hands to cut Danny off before rubbing a hand over his tired face, and asking, “How’d you even get in Galt’s room?” 

Danny brushed off Dylan’s concerns with a flick of his wrist, saying, “He thought I was some call girl, or at least wanted me to be. So I slipped a pill into his drink and let him have a go before he passed out halfway through.” 

The showman laughed, not noticing the way Dylan’s hand tightened around the paper cup of his drink, crushing it slightly between his fist as he asked, “You slept with him.”

“Well no.” Danny said, beginning to slow his words as he saw the way Dylan’s eyes had darkened and not in the way they would as he slipped into bed next to Danny but in the way they had when he had shoved Danny out of that market a year ago, “He probably thinks I did, but all he did was grope around for a bit and do a bit of poor dirty talk before passing out. Honestly Dyl that’s not even important, what is is that we start-” 

“I want to know what he did.” 

Danny felt his own hands turn into fists as he grew more and more annoyed at Dylan as the other refused to let Galt go, couldn’t he see this wasn’t important? 

“He kissed me -well he tried to- and then, I don’t know, made me suck him off and tried to sound seductive as he was practically spitting into my ear.” 

“And that’s it?” 

“Yes, Dylan.” Danny snapped, now thoroughly pissed as Dylan continued to sit across from his glowering and questioning him. The showman didn’t like being interrupted, being unable to finish his thoughts, and Dylan damn well knew this. It made Danny’s skin crawl, his fingers twitch until he could say whatever he had been trying to. “Now can we move on, jesus it isn’t important what Galt did it’s important that start working to stop him-” 

“Not important?” At this third interruption, Daniel felt himself grow livid and he looked up to find that -to his surprise- Dylan’s face reflected Danny’s own anger. “You think it’s not important that you fucking slept with that creep, that you didn’t tell anyone that you were going upstairs to play escort?” 

“Oh I hardly played escort Dylan.” Daniel snapped back, lowering his voice as he pointed a finger towards the older man and continued, “Don’t even try it with me Dylan, you would’ve done the same thing.” 

“No I wouldn’t, because I don’t need to chance death by going up and fucking some guy just to prove my ego to myself.” At Dylan’s words Danny felt himself go uncharacteristically mute as he looked over incredulous at Dylan. Dylan opened his mouth to speak, but cut himself off as he scoffed and stood up, moving to leave but not before giving Danny a pointed look. “You know what, if you can’t figure out why it’s a bad fucking idea not only to go up unannounced into Galt’s room but even more so why it may be, just a little bit, of a poor choice to tell the guy you’re sleeping with you just fucked then,” He paused, yanking on his coat with angry fingers and sarcasm dripping out of his voice, “that's fine, because I’m done playing professor Danny.” 

With that he was storming out onto the street, to where the sun was just beginning to peek into the sky and color the navy expanse. 

Danny sat there for a moment, letting Dylan’s out of character speech was over him, before he too was up and out of the cafe, passing the cashier who was gaping openly at him without a second glance before stepping through the door. 

As he walked, no destination known, Daniel couldn’t help myself from overturning Dylan’s words in his mind. It wasn’t like this had been the first time Danny had done something a bit more akin to a honeypot mission than he normally would, and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the last. But as Danny continued his walk, he realized something that made galt different than the petty girls he’d toss a wink or a number in order to get their participation in a show. 

This had been the first time he’d done something like this while Dylan had been a known member of the Horseman, honestly it was the first time he’d done something like this -at least to the extent galt had forced him too- in all the time he’d been a Horseman. 

“Shit.” Daniel cursed under his breath, earning a disdainful look for a group of passersby’s who obviously didn’t approve of a man coming to his wits next to them.  
He’d known Dylan was different than him, that Dylan wanted them to be more like ‘other couples’ and not like Danny’s one night stands that he’d wash away after they grew too tedious. And normal couples didn’t sleep around with posh casino men or their brunette nurses. 

Daniel stopped on the street, again turning a few heads of people around him, as he began to feel a dull ache grow inside the lowest pit of his stomach. The air he pulled in grew stale and sour on his tongue, and Danny felt the rock in his gut grow heavier and heavier as his heart race increased. 

Guilt. 

The showman hadn’t felt guilt since, well, Daniel was mostly positive he’d never felt guilt in his entire life. Quickly he remembered the last time his emotions had skidded towards guilt, before being yanked back to egotistical withdrawal and the removal of his name from the list of those too blame. 

“You know what Danny?” Henley’s voice had cut through Daniel’s thoughts, drawing him away from his work and across the their apartment to where Henley had stood, arms bent into fists on her hips and her face set in hard determination as she spoke, “You can sit there and say it’s all my fault because I can’t handle whatever talent you have, but you’re an asshole.” 

“If this is about my comment on your weight, honestly Henley i thought you were a big girl who didn’t get-” 

“No. I don’t wanna hear it Daniel.” Henley's words had only ever scratched at his surface, only dented and bruised the outer shell of Danny’s body but by the look on her face now she had been edged on do more. She been pushed to kill. “You’re not going to sweet talk your way around this problem, no way in hell, until you can figure out how to be a normal person and not some kind of removed egotistical jackass you can have what you want. You can be alone.” 

Daniel had stood to stop her, had reached out towards her arm but she’d snapped her teeth at him and had left the apartment in a flurry on red hair and insults that Danny knew were far less hurtful than those he’d slung at her earlier. And so as he stared at the now closed door, the apartment only holding the memory of Henley with two half washed mugs in the sink and the scent of her perfume hanging in the air, Danny felt a lump grow in his throat. 

For a moment, for a fleety second, he’d taken blame for screwing Henley over and driving her away. But just as the blame began to settle, Danny’s pride had scooped it up and tossed it out the window because Henely was a big girl and if she got so easily offended by Danny wel than she could fuck off. Because he had more important things to do than lament and pray for forgiveness from someone who couldn’t even play the role of assistant well. 

J. Daniel Atlas convinced himself he didn't need her, and brushed off a constricted chest at the sight of red hair as nothing more than sentiment. Because Henley had already told him that he didn't love her, and Danny wasn’t going to feel bad about driving away someone he didn’t love. 

That was it. 

Daniel was already turned and walking towards Dylan’s hotel, which he knew was only a few blocks in the other direction, as his mind caught up with his heart. 

It was simple, so fucking simple and Danny couldn't even stop to chastise himself for not realizing it easily. Because Dylan wasn’t Henley, he never would be and Danny had never wanted him to be, and it was exactly that fact that made Dylan different. Because he wasn’t Henley, and Danny wasn’t going to make the same mistake he had with the former Horseman with their current leader. 

He was J. Daniel Atlas for god's sake, and he sure as hell didn't repeat any of the rare mistakes he made. 

 

Dylan knew he was overreacting, but he couldn't bring himself to care. 

He’d stormed back to hotel room after Daniel had meet with him, his head racing with unexplainable anger as he slammed door after door behind him. Sitting now on the edge of the bed, half watching the slow sunrise outside and half holding his head in his hands, Dylan felt his anger slowly fading away in order to be replaced with regret and confusion. He’d know how danny was when they’d started all of this, Dylan had meet Henley and heard the stories about Danny’s poor relationships from the other horseman but he’d never associated those tall tales with their own relationship. 

But now sitting there, and feeling the unshakable wince of embarrassment pass over him as he thought back to how he’d handled the situation earlier, Dylan realized he’d been wrong. People didn’t change, not such ingrained parts of themselves, especially Danny. Dylan had known this all along, from even that first night that had started with arguments and had ended with Danny’s taste permanently burned into his mouth and the feeling of his finger alway ghosting over Dylan's skin despite his initial attempts to quell the feeling. 

The former agent knew he needed to find the showman, to explain to Danny how his words had been meant more to berate Dylan himself and his naive assumptions that Danny would've changed so much of himself just for Dylan. 

But as he stood, shaking out numbed limbs, Dylan moved to open the door but stopped as someone outside the door pushed it open the same time as Dylan pulled it towards himself. Standing in his doorway, was rather unsurprisingly Danny.  
“Daniel, I-” 

The showman held up his hands for Dylan to stop, and Dylan could see they were shaking slightly as Daniel kicked the door closed behind him and stepped forward into Dylan’s air and face. 

“I get it.” Danny started, and before Dylan could ask him what he meant Danny’s lips were on his own and he was gripping Dylan’s arms as he continued, breathless but determined, “I get it, why you’re mad and why I’m an idiot.” 

“Danny, no-” Dylan tried to speak, tried to reassure Danny that no he was never mad, could never stay mad at him because in reality Dylan was just as screwed up he just knew how to better hide it but Danny continued pushing Dylan back until his calves hit the mattress. 

“I love you.” Three words, three words Dylan had said more than a thousand times and meant it just as much as he had the first time he’d whispered it into Danny’s ear on the plane ride back from London and yet he felt his mouth go dry as it came out from Danny’s mouth. It sounded different, more forced but still heartfelt as it crashed through the barricade of teeth and tongue Daniel had kept that phrase hidden behind for so long. Dylan must’ve looked surprised because the other stopped kissing him to say, “You made me feel guilty, about making you upset, and i;ve never felt that before. If that doesn’t you're worth something to me Dylan, then obviously Merritt’s rumors of my emotional incapacity must be true.” 

Bending down so to rest his forehead against Danny’s, Dylan could feel the other's racing pulse beneath the skin and he smiled as he said, “Well he owes you because I’ll say it a hundred more times Daniel, I love you too.” 

Danny hadn't realized he’d been holding his breath until Dylan spoke, and he felt himself gasping for breath as he shoved Dylan backwards and onto the bed. 

“You’re so domestic.” Daniel said, as Dylan's hands ran over his neck and chest while they erased the memory of Galt which still remained. 

“You love it.” Dylan responded, guiding Daniel’s own hands downwards as his mouth returned to Danny’s own. The showman glanced over towards the window, where their reflection was quickly faded as the sun began fully emerging into the morning sky. And as Dylan continued to move against him as danny moved to lean over top the other man, Danny felt himself grin as he could finally answer Dylan’s question with a fully honest yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long since the last update but you know life gets in the way. Work, friends, binge reading chekov/mccoy fanfics, reading a lot of gay webcomics (looking at you star fighter), and family. You know just normal things.


	7. Curtain Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Horseman finally suit up and become privy to bit of Danny 101 that, let’s be honest, everyone already knew.

By eight in the morning, Danny’s mind was already hyper focused on the task at hand: kicking Galt’s ass. And although he allowed a thread of his thoughts to sit and grin at the hours he had spent with Dylan and the confession Danny had given him earlier that same morning, he focused most of his energy on tossing the USB drive to Merritt with a smug look plastered on his face and scanning every document until his eyes began to burn and well past that point. 

It was nearing eight at night by now, the whole day having been spent going over the evening plans and the files on the computer and they were quickly running out of time. 

Lula had sat besides him, working through the files as well with precision and speed almost bettering Danny’s own, while Merritt and Dylan spoke in hushed tones as they sketched out the show over print out’s of the casino floor. Jack had been, gladly, tasked with following Galt around the city for the day and keeping him away from the casino once the others were ready to put their plans into action. 

Which, by the way things were going as of now, seemed to be in about three years. 

“I don’t get it. We’ve been at this for hours, we have to be missing something.” 

Lula said, dragging the mouse down across the page in annoyance as Danny nodded, speaking mostly to himself as he said, “Nothing looks to be encrypted, but I can’t find a list of clients anywhere. No way the guy kept it in his mind.” 

“He might not have been able to,” Dylan started, moving away from Merritt and their paper covered table in order to stand in the middle of hotel room they were working in, “But that other guy, he might have. Geez Danny what did you say his name was..?” 

“Mod.” Danny offered from where he sat, still pouring through the screen. 

“Yeah Mod, he was counting cards the whole game and seemed to be Galt’s main guy. He could’ve kept the names in his head.” At this Daniel stopped scanning through the electronic pages, turning instead to glance at Dylan and nodd. 

“He could...you’re right he could.” Danny said, his excitement growing because they were finally going to get the information they needed to get out onto the mainstage, but he stilled moments afterwards and asked, “But how’re we going to get him to tell us, hell how are we even going to get him away from Galt?” 

“Oh Danny boy, you doubt my abilities.” Rolling his eyes, the showman in question turned further around in his seat in order to see Merritt rolling up his sleeves with a smug grin on his face. 

Sneering, Danny offered out, “go play fetch” to Merritt before standing and striding over the abandoned plans. 

“I’ll call Jack, get him to separate them somehow. He said they’re in separate cars, shouldn’t be too hard.” Dylan yelled but his voice was already fading when Danny tuned into it, the showman's hands already making the needed changes to the outline Merritt and Dylan had started as Lula came a leaned up behind him. 

“You should keep going through the files, just because Merritt is out playing with Mod doesn’t mean there’s nothing important on those computers.” Danny said, and had to turn to catch Lula’s nod as she tapped her fingers in quick succession on the tabletop. “Excited?” 

“Overly so.” Lula grinned, turning away from Danny who scoffed in order to hide his own growing excitement as Galt’s fall and -more importantly- their rise came closer and closer over the horizon. He began shuffling a deck of cards in his hands as Daniel continued to overlook their plans. 

Hearing the growl of Merritt’s car out the window, Danny glanced out the window and watched the older man peel away out onto the main road and he heard a new sound of Dylan entering the room.

“Lula don’t worry about the files, Merritt’ll have it under control. Go out and start working on getting the names he sends you into the tournament.” He stopped and Danny assumed Dylan was looking at him as he continued, “And you and I need to get ready, doesn’t your shift start in a hour?” 

“Two. And stop worrying you’ve got enough wrinkles already.” Danny said, ignoring Dylan’s look of disdain as he began to make his way to the bedroom part of the hotel room to riffle around for the same suit he had worn the previous night and a black tie, Pak’s dress code ignored. As he found the pieces, wrinkled slightly in a way that Daniel forced himself to ignore. He didn’t have time to fucking iron a suit. 

As he pulled on his jacket, beginning with the tie, strong hands rested on Danny’s shoulders and the showman sighed as he turned around. 

“I’d think it’d be rather incriminating for both of us to be in here with Lula outside, she’s quite the gossip.” 

“Do you still care if they know, I’m pretty sure Lula and merritt have a betting pool going about which one of us will crack first.” Dylan said, rolling his eyes at Danny’s words as he snatched the tie out of the showman’s hands and began putting it on Danny himself. 

“Just because I let you in my bed doesn't mean you can fix up my tie.” Danny snapped, but he let Dylan do it anyways because in all honesty his fingers were shaking and Dylan had been doing this much longer than Danny and was, therefore, much better at it. “Are you done?” Danny asked once Dylan’s fingers had stopped moving, and at the nodd he received Danny stepped out of the room and back into the main living room where Lula’s attention was focused on the screen in front of her. 

“Lula I already said-” 

“Yeah yeah I’m about to go.” Lula said, turning around on the couch and shutting the laptop behind her as she explained, her eyes animated and hands waving wildly, “It's just that guys emails are interesting, a lot of sexting surprisingly. Bad sexting at that.” She shivered at the last part and Daniel didn’t miss the way Dylan’s cast a glance towards him. “Anyways I’ll be going, I just got a message from Jack and he said Merritt’s already talking to that Mod guy.” 

“Great, we’ll head down to the casino now as well and hopefully everything will go smoothly.” Lula nodded before her phone buzzed, stealing her attention away from Dylan and Danny and towards her phone. 

Dylan turned towards Danny and Danny cut off whatever he was planning on saying as he opened the door and said, “Don’t even offer me a ride, we can’t show up there in the same car and I’d rather not be sick the whole night from your horrible driving.” 

“You brat.” Dylan muttered, grinning as he surged forward to latch onto the back of Danny’s neck and press their lips together in a fierce yet short kiss, just enough that the warm imprint of Dylan’s lips was left securely on Danny’s mouth when the showman pulled away. 

“Oh Merritt owes me five bucks.” Danny whipped his head to the side, in order to see Lula twisted around and leaning over the back of the couch with a smile spread across her face. 

“Like Merritt didn’t already know.” Danny snapped back, but his words held no bite and Dylan just laughed as the showman made his way out of the room with their words following behind him. 

“Did he really not know?” 

“Oh no he knew, I just bet I’d be the first to get solid evidence.” 

“Well you have always been more approachable-” 

Danny cut off the voices as he closed the door behind him, sighing as silence enveloped him while he walked down to his own car and -yet again- felt himself pulling at the irritating tug of the tie on his neck. It wasn’t as bad as the bowtie, but the necktie still pulled and pressed into the skin made tender by Dylan’s teeth the night (or rather morning) before and the showman wished he could tear it off. 

But he didn’t, because the show was about to begin, and Danny needed to upkeep his part if he wanted to perform. So instead of flicking the tie into the sky as he drove, Danny focused on his steadily increasing pulse and excitement. Because the curtain was about to rise, and Danny couldn’t wait for them to all step out into the limelight. 

 

Danny’s phone buzzed as he walked out of the car, but he ignored it knowing it would only be Dylan’s questions which the former agent already had the answers too. The showman didn’t really care if the others knew, he hadn’t been lying to Lula when he had claimed about Merritt already knowing. For god's sake the guy was a mentalist, even Danny wasn’t stupid enough to assume he could hide anything of this scale from Merritt. 

He just wanted to validate Merritt’s claims on his own terms, and Danny knew Dylan would let him. 

So there was no reason for Danny to check his phone. 

Moving inside the casino, the noise just as loud as it was last night, Daniel glanced down at his watch and saw that the time was nearing nine thirty and he grinned. Right on time. As he made his way across the main floor and towards the private rooms in the back of the building, all of them roped off with burly men in sunglasses waving people in, Danny heard his name being called and he glanced over to see Pak walking towards him. 

“Can I help you?” 

“Yes, you can.” Pak said, her voice far more clipped and aggressive than it had been yesterday and Danny quickly took note of the physical hints she was sending his way. Hands gripping the clipboard, knees locked as she stood, and her brow furrowed deeply into her tilted eyes. She was pissed. “Last night, Mr. Galt requested you be at his table today,” She said, still glaring at Danny and the showman could see her foot tapping in quick succession as though playing out the beat to some upbeat pop song, “and early this morning three of our camera’s saw you leaving the hotel. You wanna tell me why you were up in Galt’s floor?” 

“Uh…” Danny started off allowing a sheepish smile to cover his face as he brought his hand up to his neck, resting it on the junction of his shoulder and the curve of his neck -exactly where Galt had grabbed him last night- and he watched as Pak’s eyes followed his hands. 

At seeing this, Pak’s eyes softened slightly yet her face remained hard, and she lowered her voice and said, “We can move you out of the tournament, wouldn’t be that hard to get a new dealer at his table.” 

“No that’s...it’s alright, honestly it’s fine.” Daniel said, dropping his hand in false embarrassment as soon as pak took the bait and put two and two together, adding the last part in as Pak raised an eyebrow at him. 

“You sure?” She asked, clearly not believing danny’s claims but not fighting them either. For a moment the showman wondered just how many of her little workers had been swept up into that penthouse, and how many had acted for less calm than Daniel was. 

“Yeah it’s no big deal.” With that she nodded, slowly and still unsure but obligation was pulling Pak away and she offered him an “alright” before she was gone. Daniel waited a moment, watching her go and wondering just how much of a character you have to be to keep a business running when it’s king is such an jackass, before he was slipping into the tournament room and scanning the room for his table. 

It wasn’t hard to find. 

There were security guards all along the room but it seemed as though have of them were stationed around Galt’s table. It was all black suits and glaring eyes, with Galt’s penetrating bright white right in the center of the table. Gia had changed away from the red she was dripped into last night, now wearing the exact shade of blue that had made up Daniel’s jacket the night before however she was just as draped over Galt as she had been. 

As he took his place behind the table, slipping on the white gloves all the other dealers were wearing, Galt and the other man surrounding him took their place at the table. Dylan was across the room and Danny made eye contact with him for a quick moment before he began dealing the cards out and waiting for Jack’s cue. 

“Hello again.” Galt said, and Danny knew he was speaking directly to him despite how the other man kept his gaze on his cards and head tilted back towards Gia’s dark lips. 

“Hello Mr. Galt.” Daniel replied, keeping his eyes plastered down on the cards and ears tuned for the other Horseman. 

“Chilled is how I like wine, not the help Älskling.” Galt responded, sitting forward and away from Gia as he brought his gaze away from the cards and towards Daniel’s face. Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel could spy Jack slip into the room dressed as one of the many faceless guards around the room and Danny knew there’d be only seconds until the others came in as well the show began. “Is it because I didn’t tip? Well, in my defense, you did slip away before I could.” 

“I wouldn’t have accepted it anyways.” Daniel said, earning a raised eyebrow from Galt, and he dealt out another round of cards before turning back to Galt and saying, his face plain and the opposite of his words, “I prefer my money to be clean, and I think you would’ve stained it Rövhål.” Gia gave out a laugh, hurriedly covering her mouth and turning away as Galt glared at her. 

“Din Otacksamma lilla…” Galt muttered under his breath, glaring at Gia again as her regained herself, before turning towards Daniel and sneered, “You’d be smart to watch what comes out of that pretty little mouth if you knew what was good for you, you work for me.” 

“No,” Daniel said, stepping back from the table when he saw Jack flick up a ace of spades across the room and he allowed himself to grin at the look of confusion that spread itself across Galt’s face, “I work for no one but myself.” 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are the Four Horseman!” 

 

In the end things strayed away slightly from their original plan, but in all honestly that really wasn’t that unusual. 

They’d all took turns speaking, Jack the start of the show in an twist of the norm, and it had taken only moments before their audience realized who they were and what exactly they did. That, and the fact that Merritt had erased the concern of the security guards with the snap of his fingers and the word “jackpot” had quickly proven the team's efficiency. 

Dylan had taken the task of pointing out to those in present company the exact faults of Galt, and Danny had noticed just a twinge of extra enjoyment in his eyes, which had brought the applause up to a roar when Lula had spoken and explained exactly what they going to do. Galt, however, did not appear to be very impressed when Merritt stood and explained how everyone -except Galt- was to be the winner of this tournament. 

The show had gone well, people always seemed to be a responsive and engaged audience when you stole fro mthe man who’d screwed them over and tripled the size of their bank accounts, and as they’d slipped out the backway of the casino and away from the applause and Galt’s confused anger Daniel felt his cheeks begin to ache as he grinned. 

“Well that went well.” Lula said, as they piled into the back of Merritt’s car and began to head towards the safe house (aka the hotel room they’d planned the show in earlier that same day), her face flushed as she scrolled through her phone, “We're trending right now, the whole show is actually, people are posting all about the ‘vigilante magicians’ they saw.” She laughed at the last part, Jack joining in and resting his head on her shoulder and Danny rolled his eyes. 

“Of course they’d say that, we did just screw over their biggest villain threefold.” He said, scooting away from Jack and pressing up against the door of the car. 

“I’ll drink to that!” Merritt called out, swerving slightly on the road before straightening out when Lula kicked the back of his seat with more force than Daniel thought possible. 

“Flight leaves tomorrow morning at four, so maybe you’d better wait until we’re back home.” Dylan said from the front seat, laughing quietly as Merritt waved him off with a bullshit “yeah yeah sure I’ll wait” that everyone in the car knew was a lie. 

“The last thing I want to think about is booze, I’ve seen enough drunk old guys trying to hit up some girl to put me off drinking for at least two months.” Jack said, shivering as he spoke. 

“More like two days.” The sleight turned over to Lula and slapped her lightly on the arm as she laughed, hocking her arm around his neck in order to pull Jack’s lips down onto her own. 

“Children.” Danny said, turning away before scoffing in annoyance as Lula kicked him.

“Oh please,” She said, turning away from Jack for a moment to smirk at Danny, her eyes glimmering still from the post show rush and, most likely also, from the way Jack smiled down at her, “I let you two have fun.” 

At this Danny could see Merritt’s brows raise through the rear view mirror and, when Danny glanced up towards dylan who was holding back laughter, the showman watched as the mentalist laughed out loud saying, “So they’re finally admitted it to themselves?” 

“Oh yeah, and you owe me five bucks.” Lula said, gleaming over at Danny who only scowled back at her as she grinned up at Merritt. 

“Man, does that make me the only spinster now?” 

Merritt joked, and Danny could only groan out in annoyance and snap, “Well if you’re asking if you’re the only single middle aged women here, than yes Merritt you are.” 

Laughing, Merritt tossed a five dollar bill back at Lula who caught it and grinned before returning to Jack’s lips as the sleight asked, “Wait whose Danny screwing now?” 

“Well at least we managed to be discreet around one of you.” Dylan said, ignoring how Danny kneed his back through the seat as he accepted the condolencing pat on the back from Merritt. 

“Man remind me to buy you a drink.” Merritt said, giving out an over exaggerated sigh as he continued, “I mean how you can put up with that one, you’re you a miracle man Rhodes.” 

“I’m right here!” 

Ignoring Danny’s interjection, Dylan, with a wink in the rearview mirror to Daniel who resorted to crossing his arms and leaning back in the seat, said, “I’ll have to take you up on that.” He glanced back in the window again, laughing quietly at Danny who was practically pouting as he looked out the window, and reached his hands back around the seat to tap it reassuringly against Daniel’s leg. 

Glancing down at his phone as it buzzed, Danny could see Dylan's message on the screen and laughed at it quietly before returning his gaze back out the window. 

The strip was quickly fading away behind them, and Danny watched all those sinfully bright lights disappear in the reflection of the car window only to be replaced by waves of sand and the moon overhead. Everything was done and over with, they’d screwed Galt over and Danny had finally been to wrench open the safe inside of him in order to admit what he’d always claimed he didn’t -couldn’t- feel to Dylan. 

And so as they drove deeper into the desert and away from Vegas, Danny felt all the stress of the trip fade away into the desert and he allowed the post-show adrenaline rush to take hold of him and become the only predominant emotion he felt. 

you’re the headline for a day, they’ll get over it soon enough  
-Dylan 

Returning his eyes to the phone for another quick second, Daniel felt his face beginning to ache again as a grin spread across his face as he realized that he, for once, didn't want the others to forget. He didn’t want them to skate around the subject in faux ignorance as they had when Henley had left, didn’t want to again become the Danny who no one said the word love around. He wanted to be like Lula and Jack, although perhaps a bit less frontal with their affections, be he wanted the same openness they had. 

As Daniel glanced around the car, to where Jack and Lula were reliving the night with their limbs entangled and Merritt and Dylan sharing a conversation while the latter glanced back at Daniel between sentences, the showman realized he already had it. 

And he was never going to let it go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Älskling- darling  
> Rövhål- asshole  
> Din Otacksam lilla…- you ungrateful little...  
> All in swedish, which i myself do not speak, so if you do and these are a bit off or make no sense please let me know!!


	8. Encoure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I mean it’s been a little drawn out don’t you think?”   
> “Please I know you live for drama Dylan.”   
> “Well, you’re not wrong.”

“No don’t put that there, stop, no it goes over there Dylan.” 

Dylan rolled his eyes as Danny continued to play director from where he sat perched on a bar stool next to the kitchen island, and turned to say, “Well when you help me with the boxes you can put them wherever you want.” 

“Oh please, I’ve been helping plenty.” Danny shot back, standing up and walking over to where Dylan stood as he dragged his fingers across the top of stack of books Dylan had left on his coffee table, “But you can’t blame me for being annoyed that you’re completely throwing off any order I had in this place.” 

“Two boxes is hardly ‘throwing off your order’ Danny, besides what did you expect me not to have any personal belongings with me when you asked me to move in?” 

“You’re not moving in.” Danny said as he moved forward to help Dylan set the box of clothes down onto the floor. It was true though, that the former Horseman wasn’t truly moving into Daniel’s apartment. Dylan still had his apartment and most of his belongings in it, a fact that Danny had reminded himself of almost twenty times over the last hour. Truly it shouldn’t have bothered him, Dylan had been complaining for months about how annoying it was not to have any spare socks or books other than Danny’s weird array of magic novels and crime thrillers and this was only Danny’s way of shutting him up. 

But as the showman thought back to the days previous, he quickly admitted to himself that that wasn’t exactly the case. 

It had been a month since they’d returned from Vegas. A month filled the steady downfall of the post show rush egged on by the tweets and posts Danny saw every day, letting him relive the show and grow his ego as the praise washed in by the the thousands. As Dylan continued moving his box into Danny’s room, tucked away into the far back of his apartment, the showman remembered back to the night when he had -in fact- proposed the idea of Dylan leaving some of his shit at Danny’s place. 

They had been at Merritt’s place (which had, for some reason, become the epicenter for all unofficial Horseman business when they returned), all of the Horseman, and as the late night hours wanned into morning Danny wished he had stayed home. 

“But it’s sweet, you guys can get married and have little magic babies!” Lula had said, her face flushed with alcohol as she spoke. Everyone was crowded around Merritt’s coffee table, now littered with bottles and half filled wine glasses, seated on his too small couch and Danny could feel a flush paint itself across his neck as the other’s continued Lula’s taunt. 

Despite Dylan’s claim about Dany’s headline fading away within the week, here he was at one in the morning nursing a drink and glaring at Dylan who only rolled his eyes at the antics of the other magicians. Apparently Danny dating someone for longer than three days, and without any interference from hypnosis or drugs (as Merritt had so kindly put it), was just too unbelievable to let go. 

And so tonight, just like the past three nights in a row, Danny seemed to be the favourite topic of conversation. 

“Please, they don’t even live together.” Jack said, stealing Lula’s wineglass out of her hands as taking a sip before screwing his face at its sweetness and placing it on the table, before continuing, “Everyone knows moving in is the first step, you don’t just jump straight to rings Lula.” 

“Well with our Danny-boy who knows, I still think we should be placing bets as to when he’ll mess up and bring Dylan to senses.” Merritt said, holding his hands up in innocence and laughing at the glare Dylan shot him as he added, “Relax I’m just kidding, I know you two are bonded for life or whatever.” At this Danny stood up, because he could feel his face burning and Merritt’s teasing was making it hard to breath, but he was stopped when the older man reached over and ruffled his hair while saying, “Our little Danny is all grown up.” 

“I need some air.” Danny said, getting up and ignoring the calls of “Oh Danny we’re just kidding” as he stepped out onto the fire escape of Merritt’s building and leaned back against the stairs. The air was cold, and it bite at Daniel’s face and throat as he sighed. He wasn’t really annoyed with the others, well annoyed yes but pissed not so much, but it was… a lot for Daniel to take in. He’d gone so long telling everybody else how he didn’t keep up relationships that Danny had convinced himself of it as well, and he was still getting used to the fact that not only had he admitted his ignorance to Dylan but too the rest of the Horseman as well. 

It wasn’t great for Danny’s ego. 

“I gave them a talk about discretion.” 

Turning away from the cityscape in front of him, Danny nodded towards Dylan and replied, “And you think us abandoning the others to sit out here in the dark is discreet?” 

“I think we’re far past that.” 

Dylan’s arm slid around Danny’s waist and the showman scoffed, resting his weight back against Dylan’s warmth regardless and for a moment they stood in silence before the showman broke it by saying, “And what if he’s right?” 

“Who?” 

“Merritt, because he’s right about one thing.” Danny said, turning towards Dylan’s face which was illuminated only slightly by the diminishing light around them, “I do have no idea what I’m doing with all of this.” Just saying it lifted a weight off of Danny’s shoulders, and the showman found himself breathing easier as Dylan spoke. 

“Well thank god, because neither do I.” Dylan started, cutting off Danny’s protest as he continued, “Because I’ve never been a twenty nine year old who’s shown up three billionaires and is a part of a underground magicans society.” 

“A society that you’re practically in charge off. Danny mumbled, but he smiled. He knew what Dylan was getting at. This was new territory for both of them, Danny because he’d never been held down by anyone longer than a few days and Dylan because jesus christ if he’d already dealt with another Danny it’d be a miracle if he was still alive. 

“I hate it when you’re right.” Danny said, and Dylan laughed in response as he leaned closer to Daniel and further back onto the fire escape. 

“Yeah, yeah I love you too.” 

“Hello, earth to Daniel.” Jerking himself back to the present, Danny turned to watch Dylan as he came back into the living room eyebrows raised at Daniel. 

“What?” 

Dylan laughed and took a seat next to the younger man on the couch, explaining, “I could hear you thinking from the next room.” Danny ignored him, turning instead to press his front up against Dylan’s own as he pressed his lips against Dylan’s. An arm wrapped around Danny’s back and he rolled his eyes at how slow and leisurely Dylan was kissing him, all smooth lips and stubble instead of the sharp tongue and teeth Danny wanted. But it wasn’t all bad, the longer Danny stayed with Dylan the more the older man made him enjoying slowing down. 

“God you’re sweating.” Danny complained as he moved on top of Dylan, his teeth nipping at Dylan’s neck and jaw as his hands threaded through his hair. 

“And you’re quite the distraction.” Finally Dylan caught up to Danny’s speed, his own hands digging into Danny’s sloping sides and stomach and his teeth caught Danny’s lips and pulled the younger’s mouth closer to his. 

They kissed for what was either five minutes or five years and regardless it felt the same, just how Danny liked it. Mouth’s hot and desperate just like every fuck he’d had and loved before he meet Dylan, with the older man’s hands pressed at his back and face to remind him how it was so much more than that. Dylan was so different than anything Danny had ever had, anyone he had ever tasted and the showman knew he could never go back now that he’d memorized Dylan’s edges and face. 

After a moment longer, Daniel pulled away and grinning into Dylan’s lips as he asked, “Weren’t you just putting away you things? I wouldn’t want to be a distraction.” Dylan beneath him was a reassuring warmth, and as Danny sat there listening to the older man’s breathing he suddenly felt a surge of optimism flow through him. Surely if he could sit here and tease Dylan after all but making out with him on the couch, while a mixture of both of their things sat strewn around his normally ordered living room, then he wouldn’t screw up too bad. And if he did, hey, they always had Merritt’s mind tricks. 

“I hate you.” Dylan laughed, resting his forehead onto Daniel’s own as his hand pressed up against his lower back. Danny glanced outside onto his balcony, out into the city lit up by windows and signs as well as the faded orange setting sun, before breathing in all of Dylan and grinning. 

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh and it's done! Hope everyone enjoyed this little character study piece about the romantic life of our favorite jackass and his FBI boyfriend. I'll have some new Rholas (again I'm starting this ship name) so stay tuned. Next up OrchestraAU!, maybe ;). Thanks for all the comments and kudos, you guys really make my day when you talk to me or like my work :)thank you!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Btw I’m looking for a beta to help me grammar check/general plot check some of my new stories so if there’s anyone out there who's got a knack for finding stupid grammatical errors and wants to give out some of their free time, please let me know!! You can contact me at awelsh1999@gmail.com if interested. (also please note I am in the pacific time zone so if your timezone greatly differs, please take that into consideration :)


End file.
